


First Love Flashbacks

by lorir_writes



Series: Meant To Be (Desire & Decorum AU) [8]
Category: Desire & Decorum (Visual Novel), The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Break Up, Bullying, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Romance, Slut Shaming, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 00:33:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorir_writes/pseuds/lorir_writes
Summary: Daphne moves to the UK to live with her father and his family, but her life will take unexpected turns as soon as she arrives.
Relationships: Briar Daly/Edmund Marlcaster, Edmund Marlcaster/Theresa Sutton, Ernest Sinclaire/Main Character (Desire & Decorum), Hamid/Main Character (Desire & Decorum)
Series: Meant To Be (Desire & Decorum AU) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1245821
Kudos: 4





	1. Strangers To Lovers - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne moves to UK to live with her father and his family, but her life will take unexpected turns as soon as she arrives.

**_October 2015_ **

Daphne walked cautiously through the airport, her father’s driver leading the way to the exit while a hyper-energetic Briar looked around, taking in everything. She has never been to Europe before and the idea of living here would never be possible if Earl Vincent didn’t offer her mother a job in one of the most prestigious bakeries of Edgewater. Daphne, however, wasn’t as thrilled.

Through her early teens, Vincent would travel to the States once in a while to meet Daphne, bring her gifts and spend some time with her and she slowly grew fond of him. But one thing was meeting him occasionally. Moving in and living under the same roof, his roof, with his new family in a country she didn’t know anyone else but him was overwhelming. _What if they don’t like me? What if he sends me away if they don’t like me? I miss mama…_

Lost in her own thoughts, Daphne walked inattentively towards the airport exit when she felt the painful pressure of luggage cartwheels running on her foot.

“Oww!” She let out a loud high pitched scream. Leaning down to rub her lightly injured foot, she caught the sight of a large male frame huffing as he left. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” She yelled at the man, who merely looked over his shoulder, gave her a dirty look and continued to walk away.

“Miss Wang, are you alright?” The driver asked, helping Daphne to be on her feet again.

“Yes, thank you,” she forced a smile.

“Daph, are you hurt? Do you need help to walk to the car?” Briar questioned.

“I’ll manage.” Daphne gave her friend a reassuring smile and walked as steady as possible.

“It’s sad a good looking man like that could be so rude,” Briar sighed.

Daphne gave her best friend a sideways glance.

“What? It’s true. Of course, he’d be so much prettier if he didn’t seem like he has something stuck up his–”

“Briar!” Daphne elbowed her friend as the driver hid a grin from them.

The driver led Daphne and Briar to a blue SUV with Edgewater coat of arms and took them to Earl Vincent’s estate. The ride wasn’t long enough to calm Daphne’s nerves. The imposing prodigy house, the number of staff members passing by and the vast English garden were just some of the things making her anxious. Her biggest fear was meeting her father’s family.

Daphne had seen pictures of her father’s family members and memorized their faces to make a good impression. The pictures, however, didn’t say much about their personalities.

“Good morning, ma'am,” Daphne smiled and extended her hand.

“Good morning,” The dowager countess eyed Daphne from head to toe before replying to the handshake. “You must be Daphne. I see the resemblance to your mother and my son. Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you, ma'am. This is my best friend, Briar Daly.”

“Nice to meet you, ma'am,” Briar mirrored Daphne’s gesture.

“Ah, yes. Vincent told me you would have company, Daphne. I’m pleased to meet you, Briar. I’m Dominique,” she returned the handshake. “Come. You must be tired.”

The dowager countess led the girls inside the house, showing a few rooms of the house on the way to Daphne’s bedroom.

“Oh god,” Daphne mumbled staring at the newly furnished suite with a queen-size bed, a plush chair near to a bookshelf and to the glass door leading to a balcony with a lovely view of the estate, a walk-in closet, a study desk, a vanity dresser and plenty of space to fit another bed.

“Vincent wanted Briar to take one of the guests’ rooms, but I figured you both want to keep each other company while you get settled and Ms Daly moves to the house in Norwich with her mother.”

Daphne and Briar squealed and hugged each other.

“I can take you both agree with me?” Dominique smirked.

“Yes! Thank you so much, ma'am,” Daphne replied giddily.

“From now on, you can start skipping the formalities and call me a grandmother.”

“Sure! Yes, ma'am!” Daphne nodded then smacked her forehead. “I mean, granny.”

Dominique gave arched an eyebrow, amused.

“Uh… Lady Grandmother?” Daphne flinched a little.

“I understand it’ll take some time for both of us to get well acquainted.” The dowager countess grinned. “We have to prepare for your dinner party tonight. Get some rest and be ready to leave at 2 pm so we can go shopping.”

“Shopping?“ 

"Unless you packed any designer outfits in your suitcase, I believe we have to purchase a few cocktail dresses and gowns for the upcoming events of the season.”

“Oh… I didn’t know.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. You’ll learn everything you need to know to honour our family’s name and I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Dominique patted her granddaughter’s shoulder fondly. “Now have some rest. Call the servants when you’re hungry or call me if you need anything else.”

“What about my father?”

“He’s in town in a business meeting. You’ll see him tonight at dinner.”

“Okay,” Daphne smiled, in an attempt to hide her disappointment. “Grandmother?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Dominique smiled and left the room.

“Daph, you’re so lucky. This room, this house, your noble family… You’re living like a princess! Hey, do you think you’ll meet the Queen?” Briar mused.

“Yeah, right…” Daphne rolled her eyes. “Let’s think about the things we can do here. You go take a shower and I’ll call the servants so we can have some snacks.”

“Mmm… I can’t wait to use your fancy bathtub while eating chocolates truffles and macarons,” Briar winked.

“Wanna tone down the extravagant demands there, Blair Waldorf? This is my dad’s home, not a rich kids TV drama,” Daphne scolded, hitting her friend with a pillow.

“But it never hurts to dream about it,” Briar grinned picking up her things and going to the bathroom.

At one of the biggest boutiques in the city, Daphne looked through the racks and her eyes darted at the sight of a one-shoulder jumpsuit. She picked it up and smiled as her hands ran through the soft fabric. Walking into the fitting room, she put on the jumpsuit but couldn’t reach the zipper and got out to look for help.

“Interesting choice for a lady on her debut to the English society,” a female voice taunted in the background.

“Why should I care about your opinion or anyone else’s on the clothes I wear?” Daphne glared at the blond lady seated on the couch behind her.

“Ah yes. I believe you have a point. Why would anyone care about a nobody?” The woman smiled slyly.

“Not all women have your conservative and tacky fashion sense, Henrietta,” Dominique retorted walking into the room holding an outfit still on a hanger and placing it on the couch. “If you’re done harassing my granddaughter, you can go now. She needs some peace and quiet to choose her outfit.”

“And I can hardly wait to see it.” The countess stood up and marched towards the door. “Welcome to the family,” she waved and walked away.

Daphne frowned. “Is this a bad choice? I don’t want to embarrass the family.”

“Absolutely not. If anything, our minds think alike,” the dowager countess zipped Daphne’s jumpsuit up and reached for the same clothes in a different colour she brought with her. “You can wear this blue one and match with this,” she took a gold purse out of her shopping bag.

“It’s gorgeous!” Daphne looked at the purse mesmerized.

“Excellent. Now we need earrings and see if your friend stopped flirting with the salesman on the menswear section and finally found something to wear.”

Daphne giggled and got into the fitting room to change clothes.

All the guests were already at the dinner party when Daphne walked down the stairs, arms laced with her father’s. Unlike all the other women wearing cocktail dresses with cleavages, glittery makeup and with their hairs in updos, she stood out on the crowd with her navy blue jumpsuit, hair down and delicate natural makeup. Amidst whispers and gasps, she smiled to everyone, following Vincent’s lead.

“My esteemed friends, let me introduce you to my daughter, Daphne. Daphne, these are our family’s most loyal friends and business associates, Lydia Sinclaire and her son, Ernest,” Vincent gestured to the graceful woman and the young man before them.

As Daphne shook hands with Lydia, she locked eyes with the young man and scowled, but kept her hand extended to him. Noticing her glaring eyes, the young man studied the girl’s face for a second before recognition dawned on him. Still, he replied to her gesture and shook her hand. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Wang,” he nodded.

“Likewise,” she answered icily.

Locked in conversation about business, their parents didn’t seem to realize Daphne and Ernest shooting hostile glances at each other. Shoving one of his hands in his pocket, Ernest picked a champagne flute from a waiter passing by and sipped the drink calmly, well aware she was still glaring at him. Choosing to ignore her, he turned away from her and picked up an appetizer from another waiter. Annoyed, Daphne pursed her lips and walked away.

Along the night, Daphne was introduced to several other business associates of her family and British gentry, dazzling the guests with her wit and graceful demeanour. Every step she took that night, every word she said, everything was meant to impress her father and earn her grandmother’s affection. However, she didn’t enjoy being on the spotlight, especially after a long flight and with almost no time to rest. Her enchanting facade was fading and she was slowly giving in to tiredness. In order to keep going, Daphne went outside for a walk.

The English landscape garden was delicately decorated with statues, small ponds and bridges lit by bollard lights. Aside from the music and the faded chatter coming from the house, the chirrup of toads and crickets were the only sounds she could hear.

Daphne stepped away from the main entrance and sat on the rim of a fountain. Taking her feet off her shoes, she rubbed them gently then looked at the fountain. _The water must so cool and no one else is here. Why not?_ She folded the legs of her jumpsuit pants, turned around and dipped her feet into the water. She flinched at first, but slowly her feet adjusted to the temperature and she relaxed as the water cooled down the injured parts of her tiny feet. Yet, her moment of relaxation was about to be cut short by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Daphne grimaced. _Damn…_ “Oh my god, I’m so–” But as she looked over her shoulder, she narrowed her eyes. “Ah, it’s you.” She turned away from Ernest, who approached the fountain.

“Subtle,” he retorted.

“It’s what you deserve.”

“Because I ignored a little girl glaring at me for no reason?”

“Because you are rude. What are you doing out here?”

“Taking a breather from frivolities and idle conversation, but I think I failed my mission,” he narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, please. Don’t stop on my account. I don’t plan to waste any of my time with this,” she hissed.

“Are all Americans impolite or is it just you?”

“Oh, sure. You’re the one to talk running over people’s feet with suitcase wheels.”

“Haven’t it crossed your mind I had important matters to attend?”

“It did. But one would expect that someone from such a prestigious and traditional family would have manners and apologise for running over someone else’s foot,” she taunted, still refusing to look at him.

“It was just cartwheels and my luggage wasn’t even that heavy, it can’t be as–” Ernest trailed off as his eyes fell on the green and purple bruise on her big toe whilst her feet floated on the water.

“You were saying?” Daphne finally turned to look at him and crossed her arms.

“Uh… I–” Ernest sat on the rim of the fountain at a respectable distance and looked down. “It can’t be all my fault. Look at your shoes.”

“Well, yeah, they are uncomfortable, but I could have survived my stilettos if my toe wasn’t hurt.”

“But if you knew these shoes were uncomfortable, why wearing them?”

“Because they go perfectly with this outfit.”

Ernest rolled his eyes.

“I know it may be stupid for you, but this outfit means something to me. Clothes are much more than just coverage from the weather. They communicate something. They can tell us about a certain period of human history, its art, its music, its culture. I chose to debut to British gentry folk wearing a minimalist jumpsuit in the colours of Edgewater instead of a pretty little dress like all the other girls in here because I’m making a statement.”

“And what would it be?”

“I am who I am. I am not ashamed of it and getting rich or receiving a title – if my father thinks I’m worthy – won’t change anything.”

“Stil… Isn’t it too soon to assume you won’t change? Everyone changes. Who is to say you will be the same person you are now next year?”

“Maybe. I’ll change if I have to, but I won’t do it to fulfil anyone’s wishes.”

Ernest looked at her as if taking her in for the first time. This girl, with her jumpsuit pants folded to her thighs, soaking her feet into a cool water fountain during a party meant for her… She was smarter than he thought, bolder than she seemed to be, and even though what she said has some inconsistencies, she wasn’t entirely wrong. “Not even for your father’s?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“What makes you think he would ask me something like that?”

“You are in a party filled with old boring people you don’t know and you talked to everybody as if you cared. You don’t strike me as someone who would engage on these social conventions on your spare time.”

“If you know my father well enough, you know he wouldn’t ask me such thing.”

“Indeed, but it doesn’t answer my question.”

“If I do change for him, it still would be ultimately my decision. Everything is a matter of decisions, Mr Sinclaire,” she rebuked.

A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he considered her words. His blue eyes glanced for a moment at her feet bouncing in the water, the soft waves and splashes filling their comfortable silence. “I’m sorry about your foot, Miss Wang. I was in a hurry and I didn’t see you coming in the same direction.”

“Thanks,” she replied quietly. He peeked at his features for a moment. His strong jaw, perfectly messy hair, fair skin… _Maybe Briar was right._ _He is good looking. A bit rude, but still._ "I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, though. First day in a new country… It can be–“ she played a lock of hair, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Daunting?”

“Yeah,” she replied shyly. “I think I stayed out here for too long.”

“You should. Someone is probably wondering where the guest of honour is.”

Daphne turned away from the fountain and picked up her shoes.

“Are you going to put your shoes back on with your feet wet?”

“Yeah, I mean… I don’t have a towel here.”

Ernest shook his head and produced a handkerchief out of his pocket. “May I?”

Daphne shrugged.

Taking her left foot, he began to dry it off, dabbling the cotton fabric on her foot. The flesh was cold, toes a little wrinkled from the water, but her skin was smooth, delicate, only flawed by the red bruises and the now purple big toe he accidentally injured that morning.

As his hand slid up her ankle, his soft and warm touch sent a shiver down her spine. She watched his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. Their eyes met for a split second and heat spread through her cheeks. _It’s just a man’s hand on your ankle, Daphne. Get over it._

Ernest quickly put her foot down and gave her the handkerchief. “I–” he stammered, searching for the right words to excuse himself. “I have to go. I have a– a meeting tomorrow.” He stood up abruptly. “I’m sure you can take it from here,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

“Yes, I can.”

“Terrific. Have a good night, Miss Wang,” he replied and started to walk away.

“Mr Sinclaire?”

He stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding in his chest as her melodious voice called his name.

“Thank you. I’ll ask someone to return your handkerchief tomorrow.”

“Keep it.”

“Okay…”

Before she could say anything else, he rushed to the door and walked inside the house, probably to look for his mother and leave. She heaved a sigh, dabbed the handkerchief on her right foot and placed it on her pocket, put her shoes on, adjusted her jumpsuit and marched back to the house to rejoin the party.


	2. Strangers To Lovers - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year from Daphne’s first encounter with Mr. Sinclaire, her feelings for him grew stronger as time passed by. But does he feel the same way?

**_March 2017_ **

“One, two, three. One, two, three. Excellent footwork, Daphne,” the choreographer smiled watching Daphne and Annabelle gracefully performing the waltz routine.

“You’re becoming a wonderful dancer partner, Daph,” Annabelle murmured as they glided across the ballroom.

“Wasn’t I a good dance partner before? You lied to me!” Daphne pretended to be wounded looking away and as Annabelle dipped her down, Daphne exaggerated her pose, elegantly resting her hand on her forehead.

Annabelle giggled.

“I know you have a knack for the dramatics, but, Daphne honey, don’t you dare to do this tomorrow or I’ll crush you.” The choreographer crossed his arms and glared at the two friends.

Daphne pouted, still joking. “Andre, why do you always rain on my parade?”

“You rained on mine first, honey. Now, what are you doing? A noblewoman doesn’t slouch, Daphne! Shoulders back!” He shouted.

Both women pressed their lips together to contain their laughter and obliged, swaying in fluid motion as the waltz played in the background. When the song came to an end, the two friends curtsied and were applauded by the choreographer and the dowager countess walking into the ballroom.

“This was lovely, my dear. You’ll do great tomorrow,” Dominique praised, smiling at her granddaughter.

“Thank you, grandmother.”

“If only she had a boy to dance with,” the choreographer chided.

“I’d rather dance with Annabelle. She’s a great dance partner and she already knows the routine.”

“My dear, Andre has a point. You should be dancing with an eligible bachelor on your big night. Don’t forget the Queen will be here to bestow your title.”

“One more reason why I should dance with one of my best friends.”

“Daph, I’m flattered, but I just agreed to be your partner for practice,” Annabelle acknowledged.

“Seriously, Ann?” Daphne glared.

“Don’t worry about it, my dear. We’ll find you a suitor in no time,” Dominique gestured to her assistant. “Amelia, call Melissa. We need to check the guests’ list and find a proper suitor for my granddaughter.”

“Yes, ma'am,” the young woman promptly fetched her tablet to make the call.

“One who knows how to dance the waltz. We only have until tomorrow,” the choreographer pointed out.

“Of course. Only the most prestigious men in Europe can dance with my granddaughter,” the dowager countess replied.

“Kill me. Kill me now.” Daphne mumbled under her breath to Annabelle, who simply giggled.

“It was a lovely performance, Daphne. Vincent will be so proud,” Dominique smiled at her and left the room.

A few minutes later, the choreographer finished the class and both girls went to Daphne’s room to take a shower and have some snacks.

“Daph, why don’t you have a dance partner yet?” Annabelle questioned, as she put her flats back on and sat on Daphne’s bed.

“Because I didn’t find any interesting guys to dance with,” Daphne shrugged. “Plus, I had a great dance partner, but she decided to bail on me today.”

“You know I can’t do it. What would my parents think?”

“They would think _‘what a wonderful daughter we have’_ ”.

“No. They would’ve asked me why I am dancing with a girl when I should be looking for a man and I can’t do it. I’m not ready,” Annabelle hissed.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay… But I’m sure you would’ve found lots of interesting men if you weren’t so obsessed with Ernest Sinclaire.”

“What? I am not obsessed with him.”

“Oh, please! There are dozens of guys who would kill to have one minute of your attention, but you can only think about Sinclaire. The number of sketches of him you drew because he touched your ankle. The dreams you have after every dinner he comes here and says 'Good evening, Miss Wang’ or 'Have a good night, Miss Wang’,” she toned down her voice to reach a low pitched voice similar to Ernest’s.

“That’s not true!”

“Really?” Annabelle cocked an eyebrow.

“We say other stuff to each other during dinner and I didn’t dream about him every single night,” Daphne replied shyly.

Annabelle pursed her lips. “Daph, you should just go and tell him how you feel.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because he called me 'little girl’. He probably thinks I’m a child. And how am I going to say that? When? He’s so closed off. He just comes here to talk to dad and to my grandmother.”

“Daphne, he’s five older than us. That’s not a huge age gap. He’s just one of those people who had to handle things on his own at a very young age. It’s like my sister says: he has an old soul.”

“How is that supposed to make me more confident about talking to him, Ann?” Daphne paced around the room. “He’s five years older, he’s the vice-president of his family’s insurance company, he deals with influential people on a daily basis. I can’t… He’s way out of my league.”

“Will you stop? He’s a human being just like you. And you had a moment with him. A year ago, of course…” Annabelle rolled eyes. “But still. You were much younger back then and you still had a moment. You can do this. Call him.”

“No.”

“Just call him.” Annabelle gave her the phone.

“No… What am I going to say to him?”

“You’re going to personally invite him to your party to celebrate that the Queen is granting you a nobility title and say you want him to be your dance partner for your first dance as Viscountess Foredale.”

“I can’t do that.”

“If you don’t call him, I will,” Annabelle picked up her own phone and tapped the screen, searched for his phone number.

“Ann, please. I can’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not ready. He’s the first guy I’ve ever really liked and I don’t know what I would do if he says no,” Daphne frowned.

“But you could be missing out on a chance to go from a platonic crush to an actual romantic relationship.” Annabelle took her friend’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Daph, you owe it to yourself to, at least, try.”

“I will.” Daphne nodded. “But not today. Or tomorrow.”

Annabelle rolled her eyes but agreed. “Fine. I won’t push you to do it.”

“Thanks.”

“I have to go now. My sister is waiting for me. I’ll see you tomorrow night." 

“See you tomorrow, Ann.”

Annabelle gave her a hug and left the room, fishing her phone out of her pocket. "Not ready my ass…” she mumbled.

The party to celebrate Daphne’s title was a festive event the people of Edgewater hasn’t seen in a long time. Noble families and gentry folk from all Europe attended the party to witness the rise of the young Viscountess of Foredale, title granted to her, four months after she officially added her father’s name to hers. Unlike most of these parties, this time she greeted the guests and joined with a genuine smile on her face. She didn’t think she would feel so honored and giddy that night. Especially considering how nervous she was about the ceremony and how she truly felt about the person she’d have her first dance with.

“So? Where is he?” Briar rose on her toes to look into the crowd.

“There,” Daphne pointed with her glass of sparkling cider. “Tristan Richards III. Rich, but not noble. Godson of the Duke of Karlington.”

“Did you rehearsed the dance with him today? How was he?”

“Uh…” Daphne struggled to find words to describe such an arrogant, condescending and entitled prick without showing any sign of repulsion. “He’s okay.”

“That’s it?”

“What? I was hoping to dance with Liam. He’s a great dancer. But he injured his foot at a benefit rugby match yesterday. Apparently, his best friend is a bit too competitive and knocked him out.”

“Wait, are you talking about Liam, the Crown Prince of Cordonia?!? Oh my god, he’s so dreamy. Is he here? Can’t he just pretend to be dancing with you? He would be so perfect for you,” Briar swooned.

“He’s walking with a crutch.”

“I read on Trend’s blog he’s going to get married this year. Oh, Daph… You could be a princess!”

“Are you insane? He’s my fourth cousin.” Daphne gave her a disgusted look.

“Geez, what a baby… Fine, I’ll be his princess then. Where is he?”

“I don’t know. Hiding from crazy women like you, perhaps?”

“Hey!” Briar scowled.

“Besides, weren’t you interested in someone else?” Daphne gave her a sideways glance.

“Yes, but he’s currently dancing with Theresa Sutton to fulfill the countess’s whims.” Briar rolled her eyes. “Now, excuse me. I have a prince to charm.” She adjusted the red lace bodice of her dress and walked away.

“You were right. Your friend is intense.” Liam smirked as he limped out of a room and one of his bodyguards closed the door. “Thank you, by the way.”

Daphne giggled. “You’re welcome. But don’t push your luck. Some of the women at this party can be far more intense than Briar and you can’t run with a crutch.”

“Okay…” he furrowed his brows and took a seat beside her. “I’ll ask for reinforcement then.”

“Good call.”

“I’m sorry about the dance though.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I blame your friend.”

Liam chuckled. “I blame him too and I’ll make him pay later. Who’s your new dance partner?”

“Tristan Richards.”

“Duke Godfrey’s godson?”

“Yeah…Do you know him?”

“Unfortunately, I do. You can’t dance with him.”

“Grandmother already set him up with me.”

“He’s not a good guy, Daphne. Trust me, you don’t want to dance with him.”

“But I can’t back out now. I don’t have a dance partner.”

“Can’t you find somebody else? Anyone can be a better dance partner than him.”

“I know! I had two great dancers partners. But one is a woman and the other one can barely walk. I’ll just dance with him and get this over with.”

“Did you meet him?”

“This morning, during the final rehearsal.”

“How was he?”

“Forward, handsy… gross.”

“Then you know he won’t be satisfied with one dance, don’t you?”

She looked down and nodded.

“I can’t let you dance with him.”

“But you can’t dance. What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry about it. Go mingle and be your enchanting self. I’ll figure it out.”

“Okay…” Her brows furrowed, but she didn’t protest and walked away. It was a relief to know someone else disliked that guy and would help her get rid of him, yet she still had to find somebody to dance with. 

While Liam took a refreshment from a waiter passing by, Annabelle approached him. “So you’re the prince with the broken foot." 

"I guess I am. Liam.” He extended his hand.

“Annabelle.” She shook his hand.

“The female dance partner, I presume?”

“Exactly. Can you really get rid of Mr. Buttmunch Richards?”

“Yes, I can. In fact…” Liam said before turning to his bodyguard. “Bastien?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Mr. Richards’s presence is disturbing me. Will you escort him out of the party?”

“Yes, Sir.” Bastien walked across the room and grabbed Mr. Richards by the arm without anyone noticing.

“Impressive,” Annabelle admitted.

“Thank you. I’d rather handle him myself, but my men can easily take care of this matter for me when I can’t. Now I have to find Daphne a dance partner.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I got that covered.” Annabelle winked.

The guests watched the ceremony mesmerized. It isn’t customary to have ceremonies to acknowledge when a viscountess received a title, but the dowager countess was friends with the Queen and wanted to ensure the British nobility knew the county of Edgewater would remain on the family, not going to Earl Vincent’s stepson as everyone expected. Daphne would’ve refused the ceremony, but Edmund insisted she went through with it, reminding her about how honored she should feel and how he was happy to pursue his career and help with the family business.

After the Queen placed the crown on her head, Daphne stood up and turned around smiling to the crowd applauding her. Although it was merely a courtesy title, it also meant she had an important role in the future of the county. As her eyes scanned around the room, searching for familiar faces, one particular person stood out. Marching across the ballroom, Ernest stopped before her, kissed her knuckles and led to the dancefloor for her first dance as a noblewoman.

The guests admired Ernest and Daphne swaying across the room whilst the band played her favorite waltz, yet she barely noticed anyone else. She only had eyes for him, dressed in an indigo blue tuxedo and smiling fondly at her.

As the song came to an end, he bowed to her then leaned close, lowering his voice. “Will you join me for a walk through the gardens, my lady?”

“I’ll be happy to.”

Taking his hand, they discreetly left the party and stepped outside wandering among the round-shaped bushes, purple pansies, and pink winter daphnes.

“Thank you for the dance, Mr. Sinclaire.”

“You are most welcome. Though I should give some of the credit to Ms. Parsons since I wasn’t planning on coming here tonight.”

“Oh…” her heart sank, but she did her best to keep it together. “I’m so sorry. I hope she didn’t disturb you with this request.”

“No, I’m glad she called me. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I couldn’t prevent you from steering clear from a cad like Richards,” he said, his tone slightly annoyed. “But let’s not talk about him.”

“What should we talk about then?”

“We should talk about how stunning you look tonight.” He brushed his thumb on the back of her hand. “Your poise and beauty are astounding. You certainly did your family proud.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”

He cocked his head to the side, taking her in. “Well, that’s new…”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t think I’d ever see such confident young lady as yourself blush,” he said with a ghost of a smile.

“I’m not–” she touched her cheeks embarrassed. “It’s just cold out here.”

“Allow me then,” he removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. His fingers brushed on her neck and jawline, sending shivers down her spine.

“Thanks,” she replied and took a seat on the bench near the lake.

He sat next to her, keeping a respectable distance.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Why weren’t you coming tonight? People say you dislike social events and barely have friends, yet you’re always here.” Daphne turned to the side to look into his eyes. “You were the first guest invited. Why didn’t you want to come? ”

“I–” he rubbed the back of his neck.

“So?”

“Because it’s too much!” He blurted. “Being next to you is too much sometimes… I’m losing will power.”

She squinted her eyes. “I don’t follow…”

“You’re right. I don’t like social events, I loathe idle conversations and gossip, but I can endure anything if it’s an opportunity to see you. When I heard you were going to dance with the Cordonian prince, I went mad. I couldn’t stand seeing you with somebody else.”

“Wait… Did you just say you came here every night to see me?” She stared at him, taken aback.

“I may be friends and business associates with Earl Vincent, but most of the time I just wanted to see you smiling when you dance, watch you singing with Miss Parsons, to hear your snarky comments whenever a guest said something obnoxious.” The corners of his mouth quirked up.

“I didn’t think you saw me like that…”

“I regret all the early assumptions I made about you based on your background. You are the most intriguing and beautiful woman I laid eyes upon, Lady Daphne.”

Pulling him close, Daphne pressed her lips on his. He stiffened for a moment, but soon one of his hands cupped her cheek, caressing it as their lips moved slowly. As they pulled apart, he touched his forehead on hers, brushing his thumb on her cheekbone.

“What about the prince?”

“He’s family, Ernest. After he broke his foot and found out I was going to dance with Mr. Richards, he orchestrated the plan to kick him out of the party,” she explained.

“Did I ever mention how much I like your family?” He said as a smile played on his lips.

Daphne giggled and leaned into his touch, relishing the warmth of his hand on her face, the closeness to him. His hand slid down, fingertips lifting her chin up so their lips met again in a passionate kiss.

She moaned as he peppered kisses on her jawline, her neck, her collarbone and made his way back to her lips. His hands traveled down her arms and rested on her waist, pulling her closer. Smiling mischievously, she sat on his lap.

“Oh!” His eyes widened.

“I’m sorry if I’m being too forward, but I’ve waited long enough to this and I’m not wasting any chances.”

“Really?” He smirked. “How long?”

“Since you dried off my foot with your handkerchief.”

“I’ll have to agree then. It’s been far too long… ” he smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I thought I was just a little girl to you.”

“You were. A surprisingly smart one, but you still were an underage girl.”

“I was just two years younger back then. I didn’t change that much in one year and five months…”

“You’re giving art classes to elderly people living in shelters, I saw you at the soup kitchen during the Holidays. You didn’t simply change, you grew up and became this intelligent, driven and compassionate woman.”

“I think you changed more than I did. You’re loquacious now,” she teased.

“That’s a side of me I’ve been saving only for the ones I truly care about,” he murmured, kissing her shoulder.

“Good to know,” she smirked and leaned in to kiss him.

As each kiss grew deeper and sweeter than the last, his hands rested on the small of her back and her fingers delve into his hair. They pull away breathless.

“Can we never leave here?” She whispered.

“Unluckily, we can’t stay forever, but I’m not ready to share you with the world just yet.”

“Right back at you,” she beamed, wrapping an arm around his neck.

Unwilling to return to the party, they stayed outside, tangled in each other’s arms.


	3. Lovers At Last - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a night out with friends, Ernest tells Daphne something that will change the course of their relationship.

**_January 2018_ **

On the following day of Daphne’s ceremony, the word about her relationship with one of the most eligible suitors of England had already spread. Even though they avoided public displays of affection, as time passed by, anyone could see how much Mr. Sinclaire had changed since he grew closer to Lady Daphne Wang. They were often seen together strolling at parks, attending social events or hanging out by the lake near their families’ properties with their close friends. However, only a handful of people knew how the young and easygoing viscountess managed to win the heart of a man with such closed-off demeanor.

“Keep your eyes on the target, relax your shoulders,” Ernest put his hands on Daphne’s shoulders. “Take a deep breath and release it along with the arrow.”

Doing as instructed, Daphne released the arrow, hitting the red part of the target.

“You’re getting better.” He smiled.

“Thanks,” she beamed at him.

“You’re still not better than me, Wang,” Annabelle smirked and picked up her bow and arrow for her final shot and hit the target dead center. “You may have your beau’s assistance, but I’m still the best.”

“I want a rematch.” Daphne declared.

"Oh, it’s on!“ Annabelle enthused.

"Can we do something else?” Briar whined sitting down on the grass with her head on Edmund’s shoulder.

“Like what?” Daphne asked.

“Let’s go to the city. Have a dinner, dance… I want to dance,” Briar sighed, smiling at Edmund, who returned the gesture kissing her cheek.

“That’s not a bad idea. It’s been a while since we went out at night.” Daphne turned to Ernest. “What do you think?" 

"As long as we don’t end up in some noisy nightclub, okay,” Ernest shrugged.

“If this is a couples thing, I’m out,” Annabelle stated.

“It isn’t. I swear, Ann. We’ll have dinner in the city and go to a bar. I heard The Castle has dancefloor for me and Eddie, outdoor tables for Ernest and games for all of us.”

“The Castle?” Annabelle arched an eyebrow.

“What? LGBTQ+ pubs have better music.” Briar replied. “And The Castle has rooms to rent for the night.”

“I knew it,” Annabelle pursed her lips.

Edmund looked away to hide his blushing cheeks while Ernest and Daphne chuckled.

“Come on, Ann. It’ll be fun.” Daphne insisted.

“Fine… Whatever.” Annabelle rolled eyes.

“See you all at eight?” Daphne asked.

Everyone nodded.

“Yay!” Briar chirped.

The five young friends clinked their beer mugs as broad smiles lightened up their faces. Despite Briar’s many protests, they took a table outdoors where a girls rock band played. Taking their seats, they chatted for a couple of minutes before Briar insisted on going inside again.

“Briar, if you want to go, just go. I’d rather stay here watching the show,” Annabelle replied.

“Yeah, sure…” Briar mumbled, earning an icy glare from Annabelle.

“Let’s go to the dancefloor, baby,” Edmund smiled.

“Really?” Briar asked. 

He nodded.

“Yaaay!” She squealed and kissed his cheek several times. “Excuse me, you boring people, I’m going to the dancefloor with my date.”

Annabelle rolled eyes while Ernest gave his shoulders. 

“Have fun you two,” Daphne cheered.

“I fully intend to,” Briar beamed as Edmund took her hand and they quickly walked inside the pub.

Daphne, Annabelle, and Ernest enjoyed the show singing along, talking and sipping the beer. By the time, the show ended, Briar and Edmund were nowhere to be found.

“Okay, so the horny dogs probably rented a room for themselves and it’s just the three of us now and I say we should play air hockey,” Annabelle demanded.

“I’m game,” Daphne said.

“I can’t play against both of you,” Ernest replied.

“Why not? Are you afraid to lose to a girl again, Sinclaire?” Annabelle taunted.

Ernest gave her a sideways glance. “Trying to undermine my vanity will get you nowhere, Parsons.”

Annabelle scowled. “Daph, your boyfriend is no fun.”

“You’re appealing to the wrong sin, Ann.” Daphne placed a hand on the back of his neck, her fingertips tracing a ghost touch on it. “Please come play with us. You can teach me how to play this game too,” she whispered in his ear.

Goosebumps slowly formed around the area she touched. “Don't— don’t you know how to play it?”

“Rather terribly, but I do. You could help me improve my pool skills,” she purred, brushing her lips on his neck.

He gulped. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

Daphne winked to her friend.

“Good thing you’re here because I can’t use these methods with him,” Annabelle grinned, stood up and went to the playroom.

Ernest and Daphne followed. With one arm around her waist, he pulled her closer and whispered. “You’re such a vixen, Daphne.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking,” she said as a corner of her mouth quirked up.

“I will make you pay for it.”

“I’m counting on it,” she smiled slyly.

The three of them arrived at the playroom and chose an air hockey machine to play. On the first round, Daphne and Annabelle played while Ernest fetched drinks, then Annabelle played with Ernest. 

“Okay, now you go fetch our drinks while we play,” Daphne suggested.

“Don’t have too much fun without me.” Annabelle teased.

“I can’t make any promises,” Daphne replied taking the place on the table to start the game. 

Each of them took their mallets and Daphne started shooting, but Ernest blocked every offense attack with ease. Her attempts to score a point grew more aggressive, but he was surprisingly calm.

“Why aren’t you attacking me?”

“I always bid my time, Daphne.”

“Why? So you win by tiring out your opponent?” She taunted, shooting the puck faster across the table.

“Because I always attack when my opponent least expects,” he replied, blocking her shoot, making a drift and striking. “Good trash talk though, my darling,” he winked.

Daphne narrowed her eyes and the game grew more intense. However, between offensive strikes and more trash talk, she couldn’t defeat her boyfriend. She frowned leaning on the table and Ernest encircled his arms around her waist.

“I didn’t know you’re good at this too.”

“The cottage by the sea that my family owns has a table like this. I spent many summer vacations playing with neighbors. But you’re a remarkable opponent, Daphne,” he explained, kissing her cheek.

“Thank you.” She turned around and tightened the embrace, burying her face on his chest. “Hey, isn’t it weird that Ann never returned with the drinks?”

“I wouldn’t be too worried about her.”

“Why not?”

“Because she _is_ at the bar. She just never got our drinks or have plans to come back with them.”

Daphne turned around and spotted Annabelle sitting at a bar stool, talking to a woman. “Oh… That explains a lot.”

“Did you know she is…?”

“Very gay? Yeah. I just didn’t know that the bassist player of that girl band was into her,” she said, staring at her friendly shamelessly flirting with a stranger.

“Well, now that we’re all by ourselves,” he leaned in to whisper. “How about we leave this noisy pub and take a stroll at the park?”

She turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been waiting all night for this.”

A slow smile spread on his lips. They pulled away, held hands and left the bar to head towards the park nearby. The couple wandered through a quiet path leading to a pond and sat on the park bench. Daphne rested her head on his shoulder and smiled. “I’ve never been here before at night. It’s so peaceful… It feels like we’re the only ones in the city.”

“If only that was true,” Ernest murmured.

She sensed his sullen tone and glanced at him discreetly. He frowned, looking at the horizon, lost in his own thoughts.

“Ernest, are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“That wrinkle between your brows says otherwise.”

He shifted uneasy on his seat and took a deep breath before speaking. “I got an opportunity to take the insurance company to Cornodia.”

“Really? Oh my god, Ernest, that’s great!” She instinctively pulled him into a tight hug. “I know how much you’ve been working on it.”

“Thanks,” he replied with a wry smile. “But in order to do that, the company has to send someone to Cordonia for a while. The board chose me.”

“You’re moving to Cordonia?” She pulled away, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to understand what he said.

“It’s just to get everything in order. Six months, at the most.”

“But what about your Master’s degree? What about Ledford Park?”

“I got transferred to the University of Fydoria. I received a letter this morning. And my mother can take care of Ledford Park for me. Even when she’s ill, she runs it better than I ever did.”

“Wow…” Daphne blurted, lost in thought. “If this is what you want, that’s good." 

He cupped her cheek to look into her eyes.

"Congratulations, Ernest,” She forced herself to smile. “This are amazing news. And this is an opportunity that will do wonders for your family company and for your career. I’m happy for you.” She hugged him again, her smile fading as his arms pulled her closer, tighter. “I just need to know one thing,” she said pulling away.

“Ask me anything.”

“How long do you know about it? I mean, these negotiations take time and you’ve been planning this for years, but you must’ve gotten some sort confirmation at least a few weeks ago, right?”

He looked away.

“Ernest?” She raised an eyebrow.

“The deal was closed two months ago. I was chosen a couple of weeks later and I just had to wait for the Cordonian finance school letter.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” She stared at him confused. “Do you think I’d be against you moving to Cordonia? Do you think I am that selfish that I wouldn’t want you to be successful?”

His jaw clenched. 

“Ernest, I want you to be happy and if it means moving to another country to expand your family business, so be it.”

He shook his head. “Happy? Do you think I’d be happy if I achieved any goal in my career at the expense of losing you? I’ve been postponing this conversation as much as I could because I didn’t want to come to this. You faking a smile to support me, me pretending to be strong for doing the right thing when it’s clear for me that I’m hurting you.”

Daphne placed her hand atop his. “Ernest, I’m okay. Really. It just caught me off guard.”

“But what does it mean for us?”

“I don’t know.”

They stayed in silence, watching night birds flying across the pond for a while. After several minutes, their phones buzzed. Annabelle was looking for them and Briar letting them know she and Edmund would stay in the city for the weekend. Still holding hands, they returned to the pub to pick up Annabelle and go home.

Ernest’s car rolled to a stop at the garage of Ledford Park. Daphne unbuckled her belt, but before she reached for the door handle so he could walk her back home, he took her hand in his, kissed it and held it close to his chest.

“Ernest, please…” She bit her lip, trying to stop her lips quivering.

“Don’t give up on us.”

“How are we going to make this work?”

“We’ll figure it out. I have a month or so before I have to go there and I’ll return to see my mother, to see you. And you could visit me. We could see each other every two weeks.” He lifted her hand one more time to his lips, kissing it softly. “Can you do that for us?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

He gave her a weak smile and with his free hand, he brushed a strand of hair of her face. She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, his tongue invading her mouth as he muffled her moans with kisses. Unwilling to let go of him, she straddled him, unbuckled his seatbelt, and guided his mouth to hers again. His lips traveled down her jaw, her neck, and collarbone. 

She closed her eyes. She was flushed, her body was hot, craving his touch. “You don’t have to stop there,” she purred.

“What?” He pulled away.

“I want you, Ernest.”

“Daphne, if you want to do this just because I’m leaving–”

“It isn’t. I want to do this because I want you. All of you. The fact that you’re leaving makes it more urgent, but I’ve been wanting this for a long time.”

“Okay,” he gave her a quick kiss. “But we’re not doing it tonight.”

“What? Why?”

“I want your first time, _our_ first time to be meaningful. And we can’t do this in my car, especially without protection.”

Daphne frowned. He was right. She should’ve known he wouldn’t want it like that. They’ve been dating for almost a year and he never made any sexual advances unless she initiated. “But darling, I want you so bad,” she uttered, nibbling his ear.

His eyes suddenly went dark, he pushed the backrest of his seat down and his hands kneaded her thighs. Daphne took off her jacket and blouse, threw them on her seat, and leaning forward, kissing him passionately. She unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his neck and his chest while his hands pushed her skirt up and cupped her buttcheeks.

As she sat up and undid her bra, freeing her breasts. Ernest gazed at her half-naked body, his eyes burning with adoration and lust and his hands moved up to her waist and cupped her small yet perfectly round globes. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he praised. “You have no idea how much I longed to see you like this.”

“But is it all you want from me, Mr. Sinclaire?” She slowly ranked her nails on his bare chest, grinding his bulge. She hovered him, moving her hips back and forth and moaned as he sucked one of her breasts, teasing the other. “Ernest, please.”

“As much as I yearn to feel you right now, I can’t. But I have an alternate solution for us.”

“Oh?”

“Let’s travel this weekend. Just us. We’ll do whatever you want, stay until you say so. I’ll satisfy your every whim.”

Daphne beamed. The idea of going away with Ernest felt like a dream. He had always been busy with something and never made it to the trips she had with her friends. She hoped for so long to be intimate with him that it almost didn’t seem real he suggested it. “Tomorrow.”

“It’s settled then. We’ll leave after lunch.”

She dipped down and their lips met again in a fiery kiss, leaving both of them breathless.

“But I still want you now. Are you going to leave me wanting more?”

He chortled. “Perhaps, I should. I told you were going to pay for what you did at the bar.”

“Is it too late to be sorry?” She smiled sheepishly.

He shook his head with an unusual carefree grin. 

“Please,” she batted her lashes.

“Okay,” he gave her a quick kiss. “There is something we can do tonight.”

“I’m all yours, my darling,” she purred.

His free hand roamed down, rubbing between her legs through the fabric of her underwear for a moment then pushed it aside. His fingers moved between her folds in circles, building up the pleasure inside her.

“You’re so wet! God, Daphne!” He groaned.

She panted, stifling her moans on the crook of his neck and pushing her hips to meet his hand. His digits worked faster on her and he slid one finger inside her. She threw her head back and gasped as he pumped in and out of her.

“Sit up,” he commanded, removing his finger from her pussy.

She did as instructed and licked her lips as he took the finger damp with her juices to his mouth, sucked them, and inserted two fingers back into her. As he thrust into her, she ground on him again, panting. 

“How does it feel, my darling?” He stared at her, her bouncing breasts, her hips moving on his hand, grazing on his bulge.

“Amazing…” she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing them away from her sweaty face.

“Everything you feel right now has nothing on how I’ll make you feel tomorrow,” he growled, bucking his hips as she moved faster. 

“Oh my god!” She whimpered, arching her back, gripping his thighs.

He gaped at her mesmerized. It took him everything not to push down his trousers and bury himself inside her pussy. Still, it couldn’t be like this. Now that they were going to be in a long-distance relationship, he had to be sure she would never forget it.

“Oh!” She meowed.

His free hand grasped her hip, helping her move faster while her wall pulsated on his fingers. “Yes, come for me!” He grunted as she came on his hand calling his name.

She lied on his chest, catching her breath while one of his hands stroked her back, soothing her. “Ernest?”

He brushed her hair from her face and looked at her.

“I think I’m in love with your fingers,” she said with a cheeky grin.

He chuckled. “Then I guess I should tell you you’ll be in for a treat tomorrow.”

“I can hardly wait,” she sighed.

“You and me both.”


	4. Lovers At Last - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne and Ernest’s first trip together doesn’t go exactly as planned, but she finds a way to help him relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Submission to Tumblr Choices August Challenge 2019: Day Fifteen - Relaxation

**_January 2018_ **

Daphne took off her shoes as she walked into the luxurious house of the Sinclaires in Bath, closing the door and making her way to the room. Spending two hours in a spa alone wasn’t exactly how she planned to spend the first day of her first trip with her boyfriend, but she didn’t want to complain. Her goal was to be a supportive girlfriend to him at all times and she would keep it that way because it was the only way she could see the long-distance relationship work.

She checked her phone and scrolled through social media when Briar and Annabelle face timed her through the group chat. 

“Hey, how is it going? Are you enjoying Bath?” Annabelle asked.

“It’s a wonderful city. I’m having a good time,” Daphne smiled.

“Yeah, yeah, the city is great, spas are cool, the power of mineral waters, whatever,” Briar waved dismissively. “Tell us everything. How was it? Is he good? How did you do it?" 

"Calm down, Briar! She just got there,” Annabelle glared on the screen.

“But these are important questions! We need to know if everything even was okay if he really is as dreamy as he looks or if he’s some self-absorbed ass who just cares about getting off.”

“Fair point,” Annabelle says pensively. “Now answer us Briar’s questions.”

“Nothing happened yet.”

“What?!? Why? Where is he?” Briar inquired.

“Gee, Briar! Tone it down,” Annabelle admonished. “But really, Daph, what happened?”

“We were on the road when his assistant called to let him know about some big issue with an important client that had to be solved as quickly as possible. Because of that, he committed three traffic violations while trying to handle everything over the phone, so I made him sit on the passenger seat. And I drove us here safely while he scolded and yelled at whoever he had to. I left him at one of Ledford Park Inc. branches here in Bath and I went to a spa by myself.”

Briar grimaced while Annabelle tried to come up with something to say.

“What?” Daphne asked.

“Nothing,” Briar replied.

“Really?” Daphne cocked an eyebrow.

“Ignore her judgy looks. We know he’s a busy man and sometimes things happen at work and he has to leave everything behind to fix it,” Annabelle commented.

“But she’s alone in th— ” Briar protested.

“Briar, shush!” Annabelle said through gritted teeth. “He has his work to do and it’s important. Daphne is being a good girlfriend. She went to a spa to relax and they have an entire weekend together.”

“Exactly. Thank you. I have no reason to make a big deal out of this, right?”

“Of course not. He’s just being the responsible guy we all know learned to tolerate because of you,” Annabelle joked.

Daphne laughed along with her friends and sighed. “I know it’s not the ideal situation, but he’s not like every other guy. He is a businessman. And I love that he’s so responsible at such a young age. I’m happy when I’m with him.”

“And he’s good with his hands,” Briar smirked.

They laughed.

“Yeah… That too,” Daphne smiled. “I’m so ready for this. I want my relationship with him to go to the next level.”

“Aww…” Briar placed one hand on her chest and faked wiping a tear.

“Oh, stop it!”

“Okay, on to the serious stuff. Are you really ready? Did you take everything you need?” Annabelle inquired.

“Yup. Sexy lingerie, condoms, scented candles, edible lube, champagne, chocolate truffles and bath salts and oils for later.”

“Oooh, somebody is pulling at all the stops there,” Briar teased.

“Am I wrong for wanting it to be perfect?”

“No. But try not to build big expectations,” Annabelle said.

“What?!”

“Ann!” Briar chided.

“I didn’t mean it like that. But don’t plan too much. It’s a big deal for both of you and you should make the most of the moment. Go with the flow. Do whatever feels natural, okay?” Annabelle explained.

“Okay. I’ll remember that. Thank you, Ann.”

“And tell us everything later,” Briar added.

They laughed once again and said their goodbyes.

A while later, Daphne was curled up in a couch reading a book when Ernest arrived. He put his coat on the closet and walked towards her, taking a seat beside her. He looked tired, worried, but he smiled as he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“Is everything okay? Did you solve the problem at the company?” Daphne cupped his face with one hand.

He leaned into her touch, heaving a sigh. “Mostly. I still a few things left to handle, but I can do it tomorrow.”

“Then why are you still frowning?”

He looked down and slumped his shoulders. “My mother’s illness is back.”

“I’m so sorry, Ernest,” Daphne squeezed his hand gently. “If you want to return to Ledford Park tomorrow, I’ll understand.”

“That’s not necessary. Mother told me it’s a good thing I’m here because I worry too much and I should take the weekend to do something I rarely do.”

“What?”

“Have fun." 

Daphne giggled. "I agree.”

He gave her a sideways glance.

“I know you have so many responsibilities, but you have to take a break from time to time. We’re on a getaway trip, we should live a little,” she said, trying to cheer him up.

“All right. Do you have any suggestions about what should I do to have fun?”

“I do, actually.” She took his hand and led him to his room. “Take off your clothes. You can leave your underwear on.”

Ernest raised an eyebrow but did as he was told.

“Now lie on your stomach.”

He lied on his stomach and waited. A few seconds later, a sweet scent emanated in the air and Daphne got on the bed, sitting on his thighs with her legs on each side of his own. She began to knead the muscles on his back, l and her hands smoothly roamed over his skin, undoing the knots as a citrus fragrance exuded from the oil she applied on her hands. He moaned.

“I’ll take it as a compliment,” she grinned.

“You should,” he mumbled with a lazy smile on his lips.

Daphne proceeded to massage his back until he fell asleep, then carefully got out of the bed, planted a kiss on his cheek and whispered. “Sweet dreams, my darling.”

It was a quarter past eight when she heard the door to his room opening. She smiled and grabbed another spoon full of cookie dough ice cream, lying on her stomach on the sofa bed.

“Enjoying yourself?” His baritone voice was lower than usual, but he still sounded slightly amused.

“Very much,” she replied looking over her shoulder. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Never better,” he said as he approached the sofa bed and sat by her side. “Thank you for the massage. I didn’t even know I needed it.”

“I’m glad I could help,” she beamed and looked back to the TV.

“You weren’t joking when you said you spoke Mandarin,” he said looking at her as she watched a Chinese TV series with no subtitles.

“Oh! Sorry,” Daphne grabbed the remote control to add the subtitles.

“What is it about?”

“It’s about a girl who falls in love with a guy she married got to in an online role-playing game and they become a couple in real life later. She’s clever and shy and he’s very closed off but an accomplished guy trying to build his own mobile and video games design company. They’re living apart from each other now, but they’re cute together and talk online all the time.”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“It’s a mere coincidence. I didn’t know all of this when I read the synopsis on Quickflix.”

“Are they really as great you say they are?” He asked as the corner of his mouth discreetly lifted up.

“Their dialogues are funny and romantic, which makes them so cute, but they lack real chemistry.”

“Meaning?”

“They look like they’d rather have a red pepper sauce and tequila drink than kissing or hugging each other.”

“That’s…” He glanced at the TV and watched the couple hugging on a street. “…oddly accurate,” he grimaced.

Daphne giggled.

“I’m glad you didn’t see the resemblance to our relationship on this. We’re far better on that department,” he affirmed.

She sat up and smiled slyly. “We certainly are,” she agreed, leaning closer and kissing him.

Ernest pulled her in his lap and deepened the kiss, his hands delving under her sweater. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she moved her hips back and forth.

“Daphne, what are you doing to me?” He whispered, his lips brushing on her neck as his hands ran down her sides.

She pulled away to gaze into his eyes. “I want to help you relax, darling.” She got out of the couch, turned off the TV and took her sweater off and letting it fall on the floor. “Follow the trail, Ernest,” she said walking out of the room and bending down to remove her leggings, give him a good view of her backside and leave on the doorway.

Ernest smiled as he stood up and picked up every single piece of clothing she tossed on the floor. When he opened the door to his bedroom, Daphne was standing next to the door that led to the balcony, looking out the city, her petite naked frame only lit by the fire coming from the fireplace. He left her clothes on a chair nearby and stepped closer to her, encircling his arms around her waist, pressing her back to his chest and dipped his head down to kiss the spot between her shoulder and her neck.

She moaned, placing one hand around his neck, basking in the warmth of his body and his lips and wiggling her butt against his bulge. One of his hands roamed down her body and rested between her legs, opening her folds slightly with his fingers just enough rub her core. Daphne threw her head back, arching her body, leaning into his touch. He inserted two fingers into her, she bit her bottom lip and a moan escaped her lips.

“You’re magnificent, my darling,” he murmured, inhaling the alluring fragrance exuding from her hair, his fingers pumping in and out of her. “Every inch of you is exquisite.”

“Oh, Ernest…” she panted, her body flushed against his.

But as pleasure almost reached its peak, he removed his fingers from her. 

Daphne turned around, eyes burning with desire. “Why did you— ” she trailed off as he grabbed her thighs, wrapping around his waist and led her to the canopy bed.

“I’m just trying to get you into a more comfortable position,” he whispered, laying her down gently and peppering kisses over her breasts. When he tried to pull away, she locked her legs together, making it impossible for him to stand up without her. 

“Where do you think you’re going?" 

"I was thinking about losing myself in you, but it will be a difficult task to accomplish since I’m still wearing boxers and I can’t reach for the condoms,” he explained.

“I can help you with that,” she smirked as her hands ran on his back, cupped his butt and pushed his underwear down.

He blushed furiously. “I still need— ”

She reached under the pillows and grabbed a pack of condoms.

“I was going to pick up the ones in my coat pocket, but you clearly thought about everything,” he smirked.

“I like to come prepared. And hey, the more condoms we have, the more we can do it.”

“I like the way you think,” he pulled away just enough to toss his underwear aside, opened her wrapper, unroll the condom all the way down to the base of his shaft and climbed on top of her, lining up his manhood on her entrance and slowly sunk into her.

She closed her eyes and tried to be calm, but her heart raced in her chest. It was like nothing she had ever felt before.

“Are you hurt? We can stop if you want,” he said, locking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’m okay.”

“I mean it. You can tell me to stop at any moment,” he cupped her face with one hand and kissed her forehead, her cheek, her jaw, her neck.

“Keep going,” she purred.

His kisses grew more urgent and one hand traveled down her body, cupping her center and his digits whirled on her clit. As she moaned again, he began to rock his hips slowly, watching her every response. 

Daphne panted as he moved faster, heat spreading through her veins, pleasure taking over her senses like waves that only grew bigger, stronger.

“Oh my god!” She gasped, her body moving in tandem with his and guided his lips back to hers. 

Winding his fingers with hers, he pinned her down and thrust faster and faster until she meowed his name reaching ecstasy at last, soon followed by him finding his own release. He eased out of her and got out of the bed to go to the bathroom, returning with a wet towel. He gently cleaned her up and joined her in bed.

“Are you all right, my darling?” He asked as he cradled her in his arms.

“All right is an understatement. I feel amazing.”

Ernest smiled, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Good, that’s all I needed to hear." 

Daphe pressed her lips on his, kissing him passionately, savoring their first intimate moment together.


	5. From Lovers To Something Else - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Ernest moves to another country finally comes, but how will Daphne handle the distance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my dear friend @msameliep for beta reading this chapter ❤

_**February 2018** _

Sunlight seeped through the sheer curtains of the window when Daphne turned to the side to go back to sleep. Sunny days are rare during winter in Edgewater and the Viscountess normally would have woken up early and use the natural light to draw or paint. However, she didn’t sleep so well last night and didn’t feel ready to face the day she was going to have. Soft steps approached the bed as she covered her body again and pretended she was still sleeping.

“Are you awake, darling?”

She stood still, in silence, focusing on the sound of his steps.

“Daphne,” Ernest called.

She squinted her eyes, fists balled tightly on the covers, hoping he wouldn’t notice she was awake. Much to her dismay, he knew exactly what to do. Lifting up the duvet, he crawled on the bed and dotted kisses up her legs, eliciting goosebumps on her skin. “Daphne,” he whispered.

“No…” Daphne mumbled with her eyes still closed as she fought her boyfriend’s attempts to wake her up. Yet, his soft and warm lips persistently moved up her backside while a hand ran up and down her curves. “Stop it.” She insisted.

“Wake up, my darling,” he murmured against her skin, trailing kisses on her back.

“I don’t want to wake up,” she grumbled, pushing his hands away.

“You’ll have to wake up at some point, Daphne.”

“I’m aware of it, but can I just pretend that you’re not moving to another country today for five more minutes?”

He swallowed hard, mulling over her words. They spent wonderful days together since he told her he was going to Cordonia, but this was their last intimate time. Holding her close, he shifted to the side, inhaled the floral scent coming from her hair then rested his chin on her shoulder. “Alright. Five minutes.”

After a little more time in bed, Ernest guided Daphne to the dining room. On the table, croissants, mochaccino, eggs Benedict, waffles, french toast, and blackberry jam were arranged around a delicate pink tulips centerpiece.

“If I remember correctly, the last time we last breakfast together, you said you miss American breakfast. So I thought our last meal together before I leave should only include your favorite dishes.”

“Aw, Ernest.” She hugged his arms as he squeezed her hand gently. “I feel like I should’ve prepared breakfast for you.”

“You can do it when you visit me in Cordonia or when I return. Today, all I want to see is your smile and I wouldn’t get it if we had black pudding and tea.”

Daphne turned to him and rose on her toes, pressing her lips on his. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, darling.”

Between smiles and a delightful conversation, Ernest placed a hand on his pocket, toying with whatever he kept in it.

“Hey, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” he replied with a smile. “I was just thinking about these university applications you mentioned earlier. East Anglia and Cambridge have excellent Business schools, but I’ve been wondering if this is really what you want.”

“Well, it’s either that, Finance or Law. Eddie already works in Finance and grandmother thinks Business is the best choice for me.”

“What if you could choose what you want? Something related to the things you wish to study and work with. What would you want to study?”

“Grandmother wouldn’t be pleased, that’s for sure.”

“I’m certain she wouldn’t, but this is an important decision. You can still rule a county and have any major you want. Something related to art, for example.”

Daphne looked down and fiddled with the hem of her nightie.

“I saw the way you looked at that invitation from King Liam and his fiancee to attend the University of Fydoria’s first art exposition. I’m sure they would be elated to see you support the event and submit an application to the Visual Arts school.”

“Ernest, I don’t know. I may have family in Cordonia and visit them sometimes, but going to a university and living there is a completely different situation. I don’t think dad and grandmother wouldn’t agree to it.”

“Well, I may have a solution for this,” he said, fishing a black ring box and revealing the pearl-shaped engagement ring with tapered baguette side stones that once belonged to his mother.

Daphne’s eyes widened in bewilderment.

“I know this may seem like an impulsive act, but I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.” He took her hand in his as he stood up and went down on one knee.

“Oh my god…” She blurted, pressing her fingers softly to her lips.

“You are the most important person in my life. The very thought of being away from you hurts me so deeply and I don’t know how I’m going to spend my days knowing I won’t see your smile. But if you accept this, our bond will get stronger and there’ll be a promise that whenever you’re ready, you’ll stand beside me as my wife, be your own woman and live your life as you see fit.”

“But…” She carefully chose her words before speaking. “What about our families? We have to talk to my family. Wait, does Mrs. Sinclaire know about this? What about Ledford Park and Edgewater?”

“We can talk to our families when I return next month and we will live anywhere you want. My only wish is to be with you, my darling.”

Daphne placed a hand on his cheek. It was all so sudden to her, but at the same time, so it felt right. Her lips curled in a smile. “Yes.”

“Oh, Daphne…” He grinned as she leaned in until their lips meet. Time seemed to stand still when the kiss deepened and all they wanted was to savor that little happy moment because they knew it wasn’t going to last.

Inside the SUV car parked at the front entrance of the estate, Daphne pressed a tissue under her eyes, dabbed some of her concealer to disguise the redness on her nose and received the bottle of water offered by her driver with a smile. “Thank you, Jonah.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Lady Daphne?” The driver asked.

“I’m fine. Thanks for picking me up,” she replied before taking a sip of the water.

“Of course, ma'am.”

After one last look in the mirror to ensure she looked fine, Daphne squared her shoulders and walked out of the car, greeting the servants as she passed by and headed upstairs to rest for a while. Yet, things rarely happened according to her plans when she was at her father’s house.

“Look who’s finally arrived for last night’s dinner.” Henrietta’s voice echoed in the hallway as she appeared in the doorway of her room. “We would’ve made our guests if we had waited for you to show up.”

Daphne closed her eyes, inhaling sharply before she turned around to face her stepmother. “I don’t see why your guests would’ve starved since I told the people who needed to know where I was that I wouldn’t be home for dinner. But you obviously couldn’t waste the opportunity to diss me.”

“This is preposterous! You should’ve told me! A stepmother always needs to know where her stepdaughter is,” Henrietta bellowed as she heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

“You can drop the good stepmother act, Countess. Dad’s in town for a business meeting.”

“Well, in this case…” Henrietta’s lips curled into a sneer as she stepped closer to Daphne and lowered her voice. “It isn’t my fault this licentious behavior of yours keeps on showing, despite Dominique’s best efforts to make you look like a noblewoman. But how can anyone expect a bastard child to learn how to be a proper lady?” She sniggered.

“You don’t need to look for any excuse to throw me under the bus in front of other people just to ensure Edmund or Harry as heirs to Edgewater. Do go on trying to deride me. If there’s something _this bastard child_ learned is the more you talk about someone, the more you show who you truly are.” Daphne hissed and ignored her stepmother’s glare, turning on her heels and marching to her bedroom.

With a sneer, Henrietta retrieved her phone from her purse and dialed one single number as she walked back to her bedroom. “Theresa, is the daughter of Viscount Lochdale still interested in Sinclaire? I know something that will certainly be useful to her.”

Days passed by slowly after Ernest’s departure to Cordonia. Unsure of what to do with herself, Daphne spent most of the time in her bedroom, painting on her balcony and only left to check in on Mrs. Sinclaire.

Worried about her isolation, her friends and family searched for solutions to lighten up her mood. “Daphne?” Briar poked her head into the room and knocked on the partially open door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” the viscountess replied, closing the book she was reading and placing it beside her.

“Hey,” Briar took a seat next to her friend on the bed. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay.” Daphne shrugged.

Briar stared at her friend, watching her body language carefully.

“I am.”

“Locking yourself in your room for the past ten days to read sad romance novels doesn’t scream ‘I’m okay’ to me. Or to anyone else, for that matter.”

“The door wasn’t locked.”

“Because we told you we were stopping by to visit.”

“Persuasion has a happy ending for the main couple.” She insisted.

“But they had to go through one hell of a heartache to be together,” Briar objected. Noticing her friend looking down, she squeezed Daphne’s hand. “Girl, you can’t keep going like this. Ernest had to move to another country, but you guys are engaged. Unofficially, but still. He will come back for you.”

“I know,” Daphne replied with a weak smile that quickly faded. “I just didn’t think it would be this hard.”

“Aw…” Briar pulled her friend into an embrace. “You’re going to be all right. We’re here for you, okay?”

“Thanks.” The viscountess nodded. “Hey, you said Annabelle was coming over too. Where is she?”

“I’m here,” Annabelle smiled as she appeared in the doorway, holding a male pug puppy in one arm.

“Oh my god!” Daphne’s face lit up as her friend walked into the room and sat on the bed, handing her the tiny dog. “You’re so adorable! You know you’re adorable, don’t you?” She beamed, talking in a funny tone with the dog while scratching his belly. “Whose this precious baby?” She asked.

“Yours, if you want to adopt him,” Annabelle replied.

“What?” Daphne furrowed her brows.

“We’ve been talking to the guys and Lord Vincent suggested we get you a pet. We thought about adopting a cat, but Eddie pointed out Harry is allergic and would be sad for not petting the cat when he comes home. Since Minerva’s pug’s puppies are about two months, this is the perfect timing,” Briar beamed.

“Do you want him?” Annabelle smiled giving her friend a knowing look.

“Of course I do. How could I ever say no to this cutie?” Daphne lifted the dog and kissed the top of his head. “I love you already.”

“I assume we succeed.” Lord Vincent smiled from the doorway.

“Yes. The pet idea worked like a charm, sir.” Briar grinned.

“Excellent.” Vincent nodded sauntering over with his phone in one hand and passed it on to his daughter before taking a seat on the chair nearby. “There are a few people who wish to talk to you, my dear.”

“Hey, Daph!” Harry smiled on the screen while Edmund waved his hand.

“Hey, you guys!” Daphne’s lips curled up. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Harry replied. “Did you like the puppy?”

“Yes, he’s the cutest.”

“Awesome. I knew you wouldn’t resist Peaches’s puppies. Now do everybody a favor and get out of your Sinclaire funk.” Harry’s expression grew serious.

“The what?” Daphne made a face.

“Harry!” Edmund scolded, elbowing his brother.

“In my defence, Briar’s idea to name your current mood was way worse.”

“Hey!” Briar shouted.

Lord Vincent shook his head.

“Regardless of these two morons call your emotional state…” Annabelle glared at Briar. “We all agree you haven’t been well lately, Daphne.”

“Ed just told me if he didn’t insist on going to your room, you wouldn’t have said goodbye to him before he came here.” Harry pointed out.

“Yeah, I…” Daphne bit down her lip. “I’m sorry, Eddie. I wouldn’t have taken you to the airport because of you know who, but I shouldn’t have cancelled movie night before you left to Paris.”

“It’s okay, I understand. Just get out of that bloody room and go write your essays for university.” Edmund smiled.

“They’re right about that, dear. You should be working on your university applications,” Vincent agreed.

“We can help you out. We’re all doing it anyway.” Briar suggested.

“Okay.”

“Keep your options open, sis.” Harry smiled and mouthed. “Sorbonne Université.”

“You promised you wouldn’t meddle, mate!” Edmund scowled.

“I didn’t say anything.” Harry shrugged and winked to the screen.

Daphne giggled. “You guys are so dumb. But yeah. I know I haven’t been myself lately. Working on uni applications will be a good start.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Her father grinned.

“Mission accomplished, everyone!” Harry cheered.

Briar and Annabelle put their hands up and hit them in a high five while Vincent and Edmund laughed.

“You’re all ridiculous.” Daphne pursed her lips.

“We know and we don’t care.” Harry plastered a cheeky grin. “Bye, Daphne!”

“Bye.” She waved to both of them, gave the phone back to her father and glanced at her loved ones. “Thank you for doing this. I’m lucky to have you with me even when I push you away.”

“We’re all here for you, sweetheart.” Vincent squeezed his daughter’s hand gently.

“And to be honest, you’ll have to try harder than that if you really want to push us away.” Briar teased.

The room erupted in laughter.

“The three of you have work to do, so let me take this little guy for a walk in the gardens.” Vincent stood up and took the dog in his arms.

“Thank you, Dad.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head before leaving the room so the three friends could start working on their college applications.


	6. From Lovers To Something Else - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne begins to understand distance isn’t the biggest problem in her relationship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my dear friend @msameliep for beta reading this chapter ❤

As the passengers began to disembark from the flight coming from Cordonia, Daphne rushed to the gate, excusing herself to pass through the crowd. Chewing on her nail, she glanced from the departures board to the arrival gate, her patience slowly running out, allowing worry to cloud her judgments. Ernest’s last visit was quite brief and he spent most of the spare time with his mother and they only had lunch or walks in the park between meetings a couple of times. He still seemed passionate during calls, but somehow she could shake away the feeling that something wasn’t right.

Just then, her eyes sparkled with joy. Wearing a charcoal coat over a blue and white striped cardigan, a white shirt, and black trousers, Ernest walked down the passageway carrying his luggage, a timid smile m forming on his lips and an eyebrow raised as he spotted her. She beamed, heartbeat racing inside her chest at each step he took into her direction and her body relaxed as his arms locked around her waist, reveling in the scent of his cologne. “I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you too,” he replied, then pulled away to look at her. “New clothes?”

“Uh… Not exactly,” she simpered, shoving her hands inside her oversized sweatshirt. “I’ll explain later.”

The young couple ambled to the airport exit, where Edgewater SUV waited for them, but before they reached the sidewalk, flashes and paparazzi chanting her name stopped them in their tracks.

“Crap,” she mumbled and turned away.

“Excuse me?” Ernest furrowed his brows in confusion but followed her.

“Sorry, uh…” she scratched her head. “Go ahead and take the car. Tell Jonah to go to the airport staff exit and wait for me there.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain in the car, okay?” Daphne rose on her toes to kiss him. “Go!”

Ernest watched the paparazzi trying to follow her, but she quickly disappeared into the crowd, as if she has done it before. As instructed, he climbed into the car and gave the driver her orders. When they finally exited the airport, he turned to her with a curious, yet unamused look. “Are you going to explain what is going on?”

“You don’t want to know about that now. You must be exhausted. Can we talk about it when we arrive at Ledford Park?”

“You said we would talk about it in the car. We’re in the car,” he stared at her deadpan.

“I don’t want to bore you with courtly gossip.”

“If it involves you, it certainly won’t be boring.”

She began to chew on a nail again.

“Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than knowing you spent a night in jail, is it?”

A line appeared between her brows.

“Daphne?” His eyes went wide.

“It wasn’t as bad…” she looked down at her hands. “It was sort of an accident.”

“Sort of?” He arched an eyebrow.

“I was at the tennis club this afternoon for the benefit match and while I was playing against Donna, I saw Theresa with my brother.”

“Is she still trying to fancy him?”

“Yeah, Henrietta is pushing him to go out with her. I was so mad at him for telling us he doesn’t like her then going out with her. Briar was at the courtyard too and she looked so upset to see them together watching the game, laughing. I had to do something.”

“So you shot the ball at them,” he concluded.

“No! I shot it at Ed. Theresa may be obnoxious, but he’s the one in a relationship, not her. Though, when I made the shot, he bent down and it hit Theresa’s head.” She scratched the back of her head, avoiding eye contact.

Ernest’s lips quirked up. “I knew you wouldn’t hit her on purpose.”

“How did you know about this?” She stared at him wide-eyed. “You said you were at a meeting all afternoon and then you went straight to the airport.”

“I did have to wait to embark and Cordonia happens to have WiFi everywhere.” He smirked. “I figured the article that was sent to me was exaggerating when they mentioned your expression of shock as if you weren’t sure you’d actually hit her. I taught you well enough to know you’d hit her if you wanted to and through the video I saw, she clearly wasn’t your target.”

“You saw that?! Who would send it to you?” Her cheeks turned pink.

“Aside from our friends, almost every noble person I know did. Though Harry was the one who showed me your new meme.”

“Oh my god…” Daphne covered her face with both hands.

“Hey, don’t get upset.” He took her hands in his. “I thought it was funny. And she didn’t press charges, which is good.”

“I apologised, but I doubt she would’ve accepted if Eddie and Dad haven’t explained to her family it was an accident. She never liked me anyway.”

“I’m sure you meant every word you said to her.” He gave her an encouraging smile.

“Aren’t you mad at me for causing a scene again?”

“No. My concern is your well being while you run away from paparazzi in public places.”

“I’ll be okay. My reputation as a lady may not survive though.” She bit down her lip.

“I know you can salvage your reputation and still the lady Edgewater needs you to be. The story will die out soon.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so.”

“Thank you.” She smiled timidly.

Slinging an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close and kissed her temple while the car finally reached the countryside of Edgewater, approaching Ledford Park manor.

The next days were a blur. Between her volunteer work with kids, drawing and photography classes, Daphne kept herself busy in an attempt to forget the little time she had with Ernest lately. In a similarly complicated situation, Briar grew apart from Edmund, which led the two of them to spend more time comforting each other.

“It seems like you had quite a night then,” Daphne concluded.

“It’s not like we ever had a problem in that department,” Briar shrugged. “Sometimes, it feels like nothing has changed. But I know it did,” she frowned, taking a spoonful of raspberry sorbet to her mouth.

“This is Henrietta’s doing. I can feel it,” Daphne gestured with her spoon. “Last time I was obligated to share a meal with her, Edmund could barely keep up a conversation with her without eye-rolling.”

“But that was also the same party he spent the night dancing with her and the Countess started to push him into Theresa’s arms.” She looked down her sorbet cup, toying with the spoon.

“Briar, he’s with you.” Daphne shifted on her seat to face her friend. “I’m not trying to defend him because he’s my stepbrother, but I can tell he adores you. I’ve never seen him as happy as he is around you and Harry said the last time Edmund was excited about someone was when Salah signed for Liverpool FC.”

Briar chuckled softly.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just remembered the night we spent our anniversary watching a Euro Cup match at the stadium wearing Liverpool T-shirts and eating greasy food with beer. He said it was the best anniversary ever.” Her smile began to fade. “That feels like a long time ago now.” Briar’s bottom lip quivered. “I think I’m losing him, Daph.”

“You’re not.” The noblewoman took the cup of sobert from Briar’s hand, placing it on the side table and wrapped her arms around her friend, stroking her hair gently.

“Edmund can’t say no to his mother. She told him to pursue Theresa and he is. Now she’s probably telling him to avoid me.”

“Briar, look at me.”

She pulled away and stared at her friend.

“You’re the one for Edmund. You’re funny, smart, thoughtful, you have so many things in common and he’s head over heels for you. And you know what? I’ve had enough of this pining thing between you two. Give me your mobile.” she got out of the bed and extended her hand to Briar, who gave her the phone. “Lose the nightie.”

“What?!”

“You heard me.”

“But—”

“Oh please…” she scoffed. “You’ve done this several times in my bathroom and then bailed our slumber parties or waited for me and Ann to fall asleep so you can sneak into his suite. And I know you’d totally do it later if you weren’t so sad tonight. Now take off that bloody Hello Kitty nightie and give me your best sexy pose.”

“Just so you know, he likes my Hello Kitty nightie.” Briar stuck her tongue out and pulled the large night t-shirt over her head, throwing it at her friend.

Daphne feigned disgust, but as Briar laughed, she snapped a few pictures, guiding her friend through the impromptu photoshoot. When they were done, she returned the mobile to her friend.

“Whoa… I look hot!” Briar murmured as her thumb tapped the screen. “I forgot how good you are with this.”

“I’m glad you like the results, but I can’t take all the credit. You’re pretty and photogenic on your own. All I did was use the right lights and angles,” Daphne explained.

“I should call you to do this every single time.”

“Unless you start to pay me, I’ll pass. Just pick one photo and send it to Ed.”

Briar tapped the screen a few times and beamed. “Done. But I still don’t understand why you’re not following your gut and applying to other art schools.”

Daphne gave her a sideways glance.

“I know, I know. Lady Dominique said Business is the best option for you and you applied to all the good nice Business schools here.” Briar rolled eyes. “But I’m with Ernest on this one. You should do what you love doing.”

“Why are you insisting on this?” Daphne asked, trying her best not to seem annoyed.

“Because it’s your goddamn life and you should follow your instincts for once. You already applied to a Cornodian university art school and you could still send a few more letters.”

“Most good art schools in Europe won’t receive late submissions.”

“There are also schools in The States…”

“Briar, I’m engaged. I can’t go back to the States on my own just because.”

“Then talk to your fiancé! Annabelle and I sent applications to Cornell. It’s a great school, in New York, where your title won’t mean that much, people won’t care if you punched a guy to tried to grope you during Women’s March or if you hit a ball on a nobleman chaser during a tennis match to defend your friend’s honour.”

Daphne pursed her lips, but couldn’t hide a smile.

“Think about it, okay?”

The viscountess nodded.

“Oooh…” Briar grinned reading the text on her phone out loud. “ _‘Put a coat on. I’ll pick you up in fifteen.’_ You’re a miracle worker, Daphne Wang.”

“You’re welcome. And since my work here is done, I’m calling Jonah. You go have fun.” Daphne stood up and began to change clothes.

“You can still sleep here. Mom won’t mind.”

“Yeah, I know. But I want to watch a movie with my dog.”

Briar looked at her friend finishing the call to her driver and staring at her phone. “Call Ernest.”

“What?”

“Daph, your grandmother taught you well and your poker face is good, but I know you since kindergarten. Drake is a wonderful company even when he snores in the middle of the night, but at the end of the day, he’s just a dog and it’s not your pet that you’re missing right now. Leave him a voicemail, send a text, a nude.”

“I’m not sending him a nude!”

“You know what I mean. Talk to him. Even if he doesn’t pick up the phone right now, he’ll be pleased to know you’ve been thinking about him while he’s at his office being bossman Sinclaire.”

Daphne bit down her lip.

“Again, think about it. Anyway, Edmund is here and I’m leaving.” Briar put on a coat, shoved her phone in one purse and gave her friend a hug. “Call me if you need anything.”

“You say it as if you will answer any texts or calls tonight.” Daphne gave her a knowing look.

“Yeah, you’re right.” she giggled. “Call Annabelle. Maybe she’ll knock some sense into your head.”

Daphne shook her head and waved to her friend as she watched her close the door.

“Are you sure I’m not bothering you? If you’re too tired, we can plan something for the weekend.” Daphne suggested as her dog ate a few baby carrots off her hand.

“Absolutely not. I’m almost done here and I won’t wait until Friday if I have the chance to hold you tonight. I’ll meet you by the lake in ten minutes,” Ernest replied.

A light shade of red-tinted cheeks. “Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, she beamed at her dog, kneeled to scratch behind his ears and grabbed her coat to leave. But as she reached down the hallway leading to the backyard, two familiar male voices echoed through the walls.

“I apologise for taking so much of your time, sir.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m glad to help a friend. Besides, you only found yourself in this position after publicly supporting Daphne after her trial.”

“I couldn’t simply watch her face backlash. She’s my fiancée and I’ll always support her, even if I have to sacrifice business partnerships. I just wish I didn’t have to close the deal with hypocrites as the Viscount of Lochdale to prove my family’s company is worth the investment.”

“I’m not going to lie to you, Ernest. Alfred isn’t going to make this partnership easy for you, but he’s your best option, all things considered. You’re a clever young man and I believe the company will thrive again in your hands. And when it comes to my daughter, I didn’t expect anything less from you. I’m sure you’re going to make her happy. Just be wise about the choices you make.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll take it under consideration.”

Daphne frowned and walked out of the house in silence. Closing her coat tightly around her body, she sat down on a bench outside and gazed at the ducks peacefully swimming in the lake, replaying in her mind the conversation she just heard over and over. He closed deals with people he loathed because of her and wondered how many deals has she jeopardized over the years for her father. Should Ernest live with this because they’re engaged? _This isn’t fair…_

“Penny for your thoughts?” Ernest queried while taking a seat beside her.

“Huh?” Her complexion went pale.

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, I…” she nodded with a smile. “It’s nothing.”

“You know, this smile you learned how to fake over the years is good. It looked quite similar to your genuine smile, except for the lack the sparkle in your eyes.”

Daphne looked down at her hands.

One of his hands reached for hers. “Will you tell me what’s troubling you? Perhaps we can solve it together.”

Daphne shifted in her seat to stare into his eyes. “Am I making your life difficult?”

“Excuse me?” His brows knitted together.

“Am I making things difficult for you in any way?”

“No. You’re the one thing in my life that keeps me hopeful.” He caressed her cheek affectionately. “Where is this coming from?”

“You said you weren’t bothered by gossip involving my name, but I was wondering if our relationship is jeopardizing your reputation or your career in any way.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Lord Vincent?”

“Not intentionally. I was going to let Dad know I was leaving to see you and kiss him goodnight. I didn’t even know you were here. When you said you’d meet me in ten minutes, I thought you were coming from your house.”

“What did you hear?”

“You closed a deal with The Viscount of Lochdale because you had problems with some business partnership after you publicly supported me during the trial for assault charges.”

“That’s true.”

“I’m sorry.” She tried to fight back tears.

“Don’t be,” he said, closing the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her. “I brought this on myself. I could have ignored the gossip and acted as if nothing happened. But I couldn’t look the other way. It wouldn’t be fair to you or to any other woman that man ever tried to assault. I chose to stand by you at that moment and I will always choose you before anyone else.”

“But wasn’t he the son of an important client of yours? What if it happens again? I’m not saying it will, but you know these people better than I do and they’re full of shit.”

Ernest chortled. “I agree. And I’ll stand beside you for as long as you want me to.”

Daphne rested her head on his chest. “You’re amazing.”

“Compared to the young lady who broke the nose and humiliated a thirty old arse known for only hiring and giving raise to women who accepted his sexual advances, I’m quite ordinary.”

Daphne looked up at him, cupping his face with both hands. “Well, I respectfully disagree.” She purred, guiding his lips to hers. Locking her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss as Ernest pulled her into his lap, hands delving under her coat and sweater, searching for the warmth of her skin. “Darling?” she asked between short breaths.

“Hmm?”

“It’s cold out here.”

He pulled away and chuckled. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“But I know your bedroom is quite warm and cosy.”

“I don’t know about that. The bed doesn’t feel as cosy as it used to be when you slept on it,” he murmured, then kissed her softly.

“Oh, this is bad. We can’t have that.” She smirked.

“Should we fix this issue now?”

“Yes, please.”

Ernest grabbed her thighs, locking them around his waist and stood up, taking her to the manor while they shared smiles and sloppy kisses.

Not so far from them, a female figure watched them and talked on the phone. “They’re in. Is it all set?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Excellent. We’ll talk in the morning.”


	7. From Lovers To Something Else - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne gets involved in another scandal and its consequences may change her life completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This piece contains psychological issues (cyberbullying, mentions of slut-shaming) which may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.
> 
> Special thanks to my dear friend @msameliep for beta reading this chapter ❤

**_Late May 2018_ **

Mornings were quiet at the earl of Edgewater estate. Lord Vincent usually had a cup of Earl Grey or coffee at his office at home in the company of his stepson, then joined the rest of the family for a peaceful breakfast (since most days, the Countess sleeps in) if they didn’t have any appointments or early meetings to attend. Daphne also had the habit of waking up early. But instead of tea or coffee, she ate a few pieces of pears, apples and any other fruits that she could share with her pug before taking him for a walk. After she received her title and was pointed as the first in line to take her father’s place when he resigns, she made sure to return in time to have a moment with her father and stepbrother and learn more about politics, business and leading the county.

Peace, however, wasn’t the best word to describe that particular morning. That day started with the incessant buzzing sound of notifications on Daphne’s phone, which she managed to ignore. Yet, it was getting on everybody’s nerves.

“Daphne, I noticed you received six letters of acceptance from different universities, including one in France, one in Cordonia and one in America?” Dominique stressed the last word, trying to ignore the electronic device vibrating on the buffet table.

“I applied to Cornell to see if I could get in. I’m not planning on leaving Europe.”

“But are you planning on leaving England?” The Dowager Countess arched an eyebrow.

“I don’t see why this could be a problem, ma'am. Dad won’t be resigning any time soon. I would have plenty of time to learn about my functions as the future leader of the county.”

“While leaving England for four years?” Dominique pursed her lips.

“Living abroad on her own would also be a valuable experience for her,” Edmund commented.

“I agree,” Vincent nodded.

“All I’m saying is we have great schools in our country. I don’t see why Daphne would choose to go anywhere else,” The Dowager Countess responded, sipping her tea.

“I’ll take all your arguments into consideration. Thank you, grandmother.”

Daphne’s phone buzzed again.

“Dear, who’s calling you so much?” Vincent asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t checked my phone since I took Drake for a walk.”

“Can you shut it down? This buzzing sound on the sideboard is giving me a headache,” Dominique said before taking a cup of tea to her lips.

“Of course, grandmother. My apologies.” Daphne received her phone from her maid and glanced at the notifications from unknown numbers, eyes going wide at the content of each message. “What the fu—”

“Daphne, watch your language and shut down your mobile!” Dominique chided.

“I’m sorry,” she replied looking at everyone. “ I’m shutting it down.” She did what she was told and returned her phone to her maid.

Then again, the sound of a phone vibrating on the wooden sideboard came up.

“Ah, bloody hell… ” Edmund grumbled, glaring at Daphne.

“It isn’t mine!” She objected.

“Daphne has a point. Both of you, shut down your electronic devices and let’s try to finish this meal without any more interruptions,” Dominique demanded.

Following the dowager countess’s orders, both men reached for their phones to shut it down, but Edmund stared at his device for a while.

“Edmund, will you put your mobile down?” Dominique scowled at him.

He was about to say something when two more text notifications came up.

  


“Edmund!” Lord Vincent called.

Edmund’s eyes scanned the room, searching for his father’s phone. As soon as he spotted the device, he cleared his throat. “Forgive me, but something just came up and Harry needs my help. May I be excused?”

"Is everything all right?” Dominique asked.

“Yes, it’s just girl trouble. He needs someone to vent.”

“Oh, go on then.”

“Thank you, father,” he said as he stood up, discreetly grabbed Vincent’s phone, placing it inside his trousers pocket, and left the dining room. When he arrived at the Earl’s office, he disconnected the WiFi and called Harry. “I did what you asked, now tell me what is this about.”

Harry hesitated for a moment. “Mate, I can’t. I don’t know how to say this to you. Did you receive any videos?”

“Yeah. Theresa sent one to me.”

“Shit…” Harry grumbled. “Are you still with Dad’s mobile? If you are, check to see if he received the video too and delete it.”

“Why?”

“Just do it. You can’t let dad see this.”

“What the hell is in this bloody video, Harry?” Edmund hissed.

“All right. You already got it, so there’s no point in telling you not to watch it. Just make sure Dad learns about it from Daphne, okay?”

“Why? Is it about her?”

“Yeah…”

Behind closed doors, shame washed over Daphne’s body. Tears streamed down her face as she watched a video herself on Briar’s mobile. The footage was long and the image quality was clear. On her knees, with her wrists tied on her back, she used her mouth to give pleasure to the only man she has ever been intimate with, whose face was conveniently blurred and voice modified. By her side, her friends wrapped their arms around her in silence, allowing her to simply feel their support through the embrace.

“I can’t believe this,” Daphne sobbed.

“We did what we could to stop this video from going viral,” Briar said softly.

“I sent a message to our school subreddit moderator to take down the posts. But by the time Reddit staff took it down, someone posted the video anonymously on a porn website and sent it to the tabloids,” Annabelle explained.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t help more,” Briar hugged her friend tighter.

“How am I going to tell dad and grandmother about this? How can I even look at them in the eye?” Daphne covered her face with both hands.

“Hey, we know you did nothing wrong, we believe you when you say you were with Ernest and you didn’t know you were being recorded. But Sinclaire has some real explaining to do.” Annabelle’s features hardened.

“We’re going to find a way to face this, okay?” Briar added, caressing Daphne’s hair.

A knock startled the three of them.

“We don’t need anything, Irina!” Annabelle shouted.

“It’s me!” Edmund announced himself.

Annabelle opened the door and locked it again after he got in.

On the bed, the lady hid her face behind a pillow, her cries muffled by the feather-stuffed object.

Edmund took cautious steps towards the chair near the bed. As his stepsister looked at him, he began to speak. “Dad knows. I tried to stop him from receiving the video deleting some of his texts and emails, I forbid mother from talking about this to anyone else, but the Duke of Norfolk called him and he made me show the video. Lady Dominique found out through Theresa on the knitting club though I told her not to. Her blood pressure went a bit high, but she’s medicated and resting.”

“Oh my god…” Daphne blurted, hiding her face again.

Briar glared at Edmund and shook her head.

“Hey, I know this looks bad, but we know you. You’re just a girl who had an intimate moment leaked. You can’t keep your head down now,” he tried to reason.

“He’s right,” Annabelle approached the bed and leaned down to whisper in her friend’s ear. “You will not let yourself become a victim. You won’t take shit from chauvinist wankers sending you texts or hypocrites who can’t stand the fact that women enjoy sex. You’re a fighter. You’ll fight against everything and we’ll be right here with you. Is that understood?”

Silence loomed over.

“Daphne, is that understood?” Annabelle said it louder.

She lifted her head up, eyes bloodshot red, face marked with tears, but determination radiated from her when she stared at her friend. “Yes.”

“Good. Let’s wash your face,” Annabelle said, helping Daphne out of the bed and turned to Edmund. “Tell Lord Vincent to wait for her to calm down. She’ll talk to him when she’s ready.”

Edmund nodded and left the room.

The family didn’t have lunch together that day. Lady Dominique stayed inside her room the whole day, Lord Vincent and Edmund cancelled all appointments downtown and they worked from their home office, Countess Henrietta spent all day shopping blatantly ignoring the crisis and Daphne managed to eat something after her friends ordered her favourite dishes. At night, the family gathered in the living room with a lawyer recommended by one of Vincent’s friends at the Parliament.

“My lords and ladies, the legal request was accepted by Judge Henderson and the video was taken down from social media websites and tabloids. I appealed for the right to be forgotten so search engines will remove any compromising data involving Lady Daphne’s name from the database, as she requested,” the lawyer informed.

“Thank you, Mr. Woods,” Vincent nodded.

“What about the people sharing the video through text messages?” Edmund asked.

“Judge Henderson requested a professional team to monitor all social media and other forms of electronic communications. All the people who shared the videos will be notified in the next twenty-four hours and they will be charged for criminal offence.”

“And the man on the video?” Henrietta asked.

“Also answering Lady Daphne’s request, the man’s identity will remain anonymous, but I assure you he’s cooperating with the investigation.”

“I wonder what’s your fiancé’s opinion about this,” the Countess sniggered only to earn glares from everyone in the room.

“Is there a way to find out who’s the author of the video?” Briar inquired.

“Yes, there is. Judge Henderson also hired a special team to track down the IP address the video came from and once we find the perpetrators, they will also be charged for criminal offence and we will request for the maximum sentence.”

“Which is…?” Henrietta asked.

“Two years in jail. Their only chance not to face a jail sentence will be if Lady Daphne shows mercy.”

“Huh,” the Countess fiddled with the teaspoon on her hand.

Daphne and Dominique exchanged glances.

“You did a good job on such short notice, Mr. Woods. Thank you,” Lord Vincent approached the lawyer and gave him a firm handshake.

“You’re very welcome, sir. Rest assured I’ll do everything in my power to bring justice for Lady Daphne and your family,” the lawyer affirmed.

“Thank you once again, Mr. Woods,” Daphne extended her hand to him.

“It’s an honour to have you as my client, ma'am.” He shook her hand. “Call me if you need anything.”

Dominique looked at her granddaughter, who simply nodded. She stood up and addressed the lawyer. “Let me escort you out, Mr. Woods.”

“Thank you, ma'am.” Biding a polite farewell to everyone, Mr. Woods followed the Dowager Countess.

After Henrietta excused herself to go back to her bedroom, Edmund also headed back to his ensuite. But unlike most days, Briar didn’t follow. “Do you need anything, Daph?”

“Just some time to rest.”

“I called mom to tell her I’m staying with you and we can chill and binge anything you want. Ann will be back soon.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” Daphne’s eyes welled up.

“We just gave you a little nudge. It could’ve taken you a little more time on your own, but you’d definitely be on your feet, fighting just like you are right now,” Briar encircled her arms around her friend and kissed the top of her head before saying goodnight to the Earl and climb up the stairs.

Daphne looked at her father, gazing out the window. “Dad?”

“Yes?”

“How are you feeling?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you this question?”

“Just because this happened to me it doesn’t mean I don’t want to know how you’re doing. After all, the entire family’s reputation on the line again,” Daphne shrugged.

“Well, I can’t say this was how I expected my day to be, but as far as our family’s reputation is concerned, I have to admit I couldn’t care less.

"But you’re a businessman and a politician!”

“I’m a father first and foremost and my main concern is my children’s well being. So, to answer your question properly, no. I’m not okay. My daughter was publicly shamed today for simply enjoying a private moment with her fiancé. I will never be okay with this.”

“Dad…” her lip quivered as she slid closer to him on the couch.

“What society thinks about us now doesn’t matter to me. What I need is to be sure you will be all right to face the backlash again. Your safety, health, and happiness are and always will be my top priority,” he smiled warmly at his daughter.

“Thank you.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

“Have you talked to Ernest after the conversation with Arthur Woods?”

"No. I don’t know how to face him.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know I’m bringing trouble to his life again. He already has some much going on with the insurance company, Mrs Sinclaire’s disease, my first scandal.” She looked down her hands. “How bad do you think this is going to affect him?”

Lord Vincent’s expression grew somber as he pondered his daughter’s question.

“Dad, please.” She placed her hand atop his. “I need to know.”

He looked into his daughter’s eyes and caressed her cheek. “His situation won’t be easy, financially speaking.”

“How come?”

“After Ledford Park Inc. lost an important business partner who helped finance the company to be established in Cordonia, Ernest sought the investment of other banks. The one which offered his company the most beneficial deal belongs to Viscount Lochdale. But to officiate the contract, he agreed to include a morality clause. If Ernest gets involved in any sort of scandal, he will be obligated to step down from his position or the company will lose the financial aid.”

“Just like that?! But Ernest’s whole life is about the company! It’s his livelihood!” Daphne exclaimed.

“As you may recall, cancer treatments are expensive. If he steps down from his position, his family will face a big financial debt. But if he remains as vice president, the company will suffer and the board can force him to step down before another deal is settled.”

“Is this why Mr. Woods said his identity should be kept anonymous for now?”

“Precisely.”

“But it will look like I cheated on him.”

“Yes, but Albert had a terrible history with betrayal and would be sympathetic to Ernest if it looked like he was cheated on.”

Daphne stood in silence for a minute, chewing on a nail. Reluctant to what she was going to say, she took a deep breath before speaking. “Dad?”

“Yes?”

“Can you get the jet ready for tomorrow? I need to talk to Ernest in person.”

“Of course, dear.”

The following day was a nightmare. To avoid any more rumours, Daphne arrived in Cordonia in the middle of the night and she had to be escorted by the Cornodian Kingsguard to the Royal Palace instead of going to a hotel to keep the paparazzi away. With security reinforced for his own wedding, King Liam made sure his cousin would have all the privacy she needed. But while she waited for Ernest to have some time to meet her, the lady spent most of her days in her room or at the Royal Library.

“I knew I would find you here.” King Liam smiled as he closed the door. “Can I come in?”

“Hey… Of course.” Daphne closed the book she was reading and patted the seat beside her.

The king chuckled before joining her on the couch. “You seem a little better today.”

“Yeah, sort of. You were right, your friends are really fun. Jade is amazing. It’s like she’s the opposite of you, but you complete each other. You both will be great rulers.”

“Thank you. I like to think so too.”

“Liam, I know you faced a lot of criticism because of the scandal involving her name. Have you thought about giving up?”

“Yes.”

“Are you serious?”

“I thought about putting her on a plane back to the States so she could move on, I considered abdicating the throne and fleeing the country with her.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“Yes. More than once, actually.”

“How did she react?”

“The first time I told her we were still meeting in secret. She cried a lot, we thought about our lives would be if we eloped, but she said she couldn’t let me abdicate or let go of me, that we had to fight against the odds together. After my father died, I talked to her about it again. She told me to shut up and get over myself because she isn’t going anywhere.”

Both of them laughed.

“I know it seems selfish to choose love before my duty to the Kingdom, but it turns out the two of them can coexist. Jade helps Cordonia thrive with her people skills, her ideas, her support to my role.”

“It still was a risky move.”

“But it was worth everything.”

Daphne looked down her hand, toying with the engagement ring on her finger.

“I know why you’re asking me about it and it wouldn’t be wise of me not to remind you that you’re nineteen. There’s so much you don’t know about life. What you think, how you feel now… Everything can change. You have so much ahead of you. And you have to be sure of what you want before you commit to something that may change your life forever.”

“Yeah…” Daphne chewed on a nail.

“I apologise if this conversation got more serious than it should have been. I thought about encouraging Leo or Jade to talk to you instead." 

"It’s fine. I appreciate your honesty, Liam. And I did talk to them about it.”

“What did they say?”

“Something similar to what you said, minus your wise kingly voice.” She smiled softly.

Liam chortled. “I hope we could help you, somehow.”

“You did. Thank you.”

“Anytime, Daphne.”

Palms sweating, heartbeat racing, stomach fluttering. Daphne had days to think things over and consider her options and she thought she was ready to do this. She was not. She would never be ready to say it to the first man she fell in love with.

The door to her private suite opened and Ernest walking in. He looked as dashing as always, but as if he has aged years since she last saw him. Without saying a word, he approached her and his arms encircling her petite frame, pressing her against his chest.

As their lips met, mixed feelings clouded her thoughts. Maybe they should’ve kept some distance. Maybe she shouldn’t be trying to memorize the colour of the shirt he was wearing, the undertones of his cologne, or the taste of his kiss. But it was hard to resist it.

He pulled away to look into her eyes and caressed her cheek. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “It’s okay.”

Her lips trembled. “Is it?”

“In a way, yes. I can’t say I want to let go of you or hear you say what you’re struggling to tell me, but I understand how you feel. It’s too much for both of us. And as much as I care about you, I can’t allow you to carry this burden for me.” His eyes went glossy.

Daphne closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she reached for the engagement ring and took it off. Opening her eyes, she placed the ring on his palm and closed his hand. “I’m so sorry.”

Holding her once again, he kissed the top of her head. “Me too, my darling.”


	8. From Lovers To Something Else - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne returns home for winter break, but unexpected events await her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my dear friend @msameliep for beta reading this chapter ❤

**_December 2018_ **

Smalls drops of rain fell on the windows of Edgewater SUV, blurring Daphne’s vision of the streets. After months away from British nobility, she thought she’d be anxious, but tiredness certainly was the most prominent feeling. Even though living under the same roof Countess Henrietta meant her moments of peace and quiet time would be rare, she was glad to be back at her family’s estate to see her father, brothers, and grandmother again and sleep all day.

As the car rolled to a stop at the main entrance, the Dowager Countess showed up at the main entrance followed by a few servants. Daphne climbed out of the car and her grandmother broke into a smile. “Welcome home, my dear,” she said, taking Daphne’s hands and squeezing them gently.

“Thank you, grandmother.”

“Did you have a pleasant flight?”

“It was as good as any fifteen-hour flights can be,” Daphne gave her shoulders.

“You must be exhausted. I asked your new maid to prepare you a warm bath and something for you to eat.”

“Don’t go eating everything you see on the table, Daphne. Save some space for tonight’s feast.” Countess Henrietta snickered from the doorway.

“Feast?” Daphne questioned.

“If three years in this family aren’t enough for you to learn our traditions, let me explain: it’s customary to have a feast every time a family member of Edgewater comes back home after a trip. As the daughter of the Earl and someone who still has a title, you are the guest of honour tonight.”

“It’s the same dinner we throw Harry every time he comes to visit us, my dear. Usually, it’s a small one, just for our closest friends, but _somehow_ it became a huge event.” Dominique glared at the Countess.

“I simply improved my dear husband’s idea. It’d be rude of us if we had dinner with fifteen close friends when we could easily have a feast for sixty friends, don’t you think?" Henrietta sneered.

"Sure. You’re not the one paying for it, so why not?” Daphne retorted.

Dominique smirked at her granddaughter.

“You may indulge Daphne into these foolish ideas such as attending university overseas, but she still has her duty to this family and this county,” the Countess hissed.

“She’s well aware of her obligations, Henrietta,” Dominique argued. “Daphne will be ready for the feast at seven sharp.”

“Good. I can hardly wait.” Henrietta smiled slyly at Daphne and walked back into the house.

“We have no time to waste. Get in the car,” the Dowager Countess commanded.

“What?!? But you said—”

“You can eat at the spa and talk to Vincent and your brothers later. We have to buy you a dress, shoes, do your hair…” She took her granddaughter’s hand, inspecting her nails. “When was the last time you had your nails done?”

“Uh… August?” She scrunched her nose.

Dominique pursed her lips.

“Getting nails done is a waste of time and money for an art student, grandmother.”

“I am not discussing this issue with you again. The Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie are coming for dinner and we’re short in time to get you ready, considering the trouble you’ll give to the manicure. Get in. Now.” Dominique pointed towards the open door of the same SUV her granddaughter climbed out just a few minutes ago.

Daphne wasn’t sure if it was the jet lag or the guilt she felt after everything her grandmother and the whole family went through to support her that year, but she didn’t even try to fight it. At least, she could sleep in the car.

Her hand slid down the handrail as the Viscountess descended the stairs gracefully. Though she’d rather be in her pajamas sleeping until spring, she managed to look elegant and perfectly fine with a few layers of makeup, a comfortable dress, and heels. At the bottom of the stairs, Earl Vincent grinned as he took his daughter’s hand and escorted her into the living room.

“You look lovely, sweetheart,” he whispered to Daphne.

“Thank you, dad.”

“I apologize for Henrietta. I couldn’t postpone it when the Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie were confirmed their attendance.”

“Dad, you shouldn’t apologize for other people’s doing.”

“Even if I still feel terribly sorry that our duty as nobility sometimes comes before our own wishes to lock ourselves in our chambers and rest?”

Daphne gave him a weak smile. “I understand, Dad. And it’s okay. Fergie and Eugenie are fun to talk to.”

Vincent chuckled. “I knew you enjoy their visit. Either way, our closest friends know you’re tired and you have my permission to rest right after dinner when I call gentlemen for brandy.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Thank you so much, Dad,” she beamed.

“You’re welcome, dear. Now go enjoy the party. I’ll see later,” he said as he kissed her cheek and joined a conversation with a few of his business associates.

The guests invited to the dinner party socialized at the lounge area, where drinks and appetizers were served whilst some of the most traditional families of nobles and richest people in Great Britain chatted. Daphne was used to dealing with her stepmother’s attempts to make her look like a fool in front of all British nobility and her father’s business associates with grace and poise, even after all the scandals. However, managing to keep conversations or even staying awake while she was jetlagged was a hassle, especially because the Countess chose to throw a sit down dinner party on purpose.

Daphne walked around the room, trying to engage in different groups of people, fighting yawns that were getting stronger at each champagne flute that was offered to her. The dizziness and the lack of sleep were making her cranky, impatient. She had to get out of there. Excusing herself to have some fresh air, she went outside, sat on the rim of the fountain and kicked off her shoes to dip her feet into the cool water.

“The Viscountess Foredale still likes to sink her feet into the main entrance fountain. Interesting.”

Daphne froze in place as she recognized his voice. Ernest arrived at the party and talked to Earl Vincent and other noblemen, but simply exchanged polite greetings with her. As she changed from a group of people to another, he did the same thing, avoiding being in the same circle she was. After what happened between them, they stopped speaking to each other and attending the same events. Given that they lived on different continents, it wasn’t so hard to keep it that way. That night, however, something was different about him.

“Old habits die hard.” She shrugged.

“Did you hurt your foot again?”

“No. And the first time I dipped my feet in here it wasn’t my fault.”

“Will you ever forgive me for that?”

“I’m still debating on it.”

“Seriously?”

“Consider yourself lucky. You ran over my foot and I did nothing. I’ve hit people in the head with a tennis ball for a lot less.”

He chortled. “Fair point.” He said, taking a seat beside her on the rim of the fountain.

She raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t see your girlfriend tonight.”

“Felicity is indisposed.”

“Jet lag?”

“Almond allergies.”

“Send my best to her.”

“Do you mean it?”

“I may loathe her for several reasons, but it doesn’t mean I want her to die because she didn’t ask the waiter if the gravy had almonds.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

“I’d rather see her choke on her own venom.”

He pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh.

“Gee, Sinclaire! Defend your girl’s honour.”

“After all the things I’ve heard her saying about you, I’d rather not. Let’s call it even.”

She smiled ruefully.

“How’s art school?”

 _Why is he making conversation with me of all people?_ “It’s everything I hoped it would be.”

“I still can’t believe Lady Dominique agreed to it.”

“Well, it’s not like I’m the rightful heir to Edgewater. The least she could do was to cut me some slack and support me when I decided to move somewhere I feel more comfortable and study whatever I want.”

He nodded.

“How’s your mother?”

His expression grew somber.

“Crap! I’m so sorry…” Her cheeks flushed crimson. “I didn’t mean to pry, I was just making conversation because you started it, even though you don’t like idle conversations.” _Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!_ “I can leave if you want.”

She took her feet out of the water fountain and reached for her sandals, but he placed his hand atop hers. Their eyes met for a second, but she quickly looked away.

“It’s fine. I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“Have you?” Her brows knitted together.

“Yes. I know we agreed to stay away from each other so both of us could move on with our lives, but…” He hung his head, elbows resting on his knees. “I don’t know who else I can talk to.”

Daphne gazed at him, gauging his expression. “Ernest, is everything okay?”

He shook his head.

“What is it?”

“My mother’s cancer… It’s spreading inside her body.” He swallowed hard. “She’s thinking about giving up on cancer treatment.” His blue eyes went glossy.

“Why?”

“She says I’m just wasting money in an expensive treatment that is worthless, it makes her nauseous, tired all the time. I don’t know how to persuade her.” A wrinkle formed between his brows as if he was trying to search for the right words. “Should I even try? Wouldn’t it be selfish of me put her through a treatment she doesn’t want to receive?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched him fight back his own.

“I’m sorry, I…” He brushed his fingers over his eyes. “I just figured you would understand.”

“I do.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. “Has she talked to anyone else about this?”

“My aunts. They think she’s desperate.”

“Of course she is. It’s her life for crying out loud,” she fumed. “Here’s what you’re going to do. Ask her if she really meant that. On her next appointment to the doctor, you can talk about her prognosis and all the possibilities she’s got. Encourage her to make questions, observe her to see how she’s taking all the information. Then allow her to process everything. But most importantly, be there for her. Whatever she decides, support her.”

Ernest nodded.

“And if you need anything, books, research, someone to talk to, call me.”

His forehead creased.

“I don’t care what your girlfriend thinks, by the way. I just don’t want you to face this alone.”

“I was actually wondering what your boyfriend would think.”

Her brows furrowed. “How do you know I have a boyfriend?”

“The same I way I’ve always found out any gossip involving your name.” He gave her a knowing look.

Daphne pursed her lips at the thought but replied without hesitation. “He’ll understand.”

“If you say so…” He got on his feet and turned to her. “I have to go now.”

“Aren’t you staying for dinner?”

“No. I just wanted to stop by and talk to you. Thank you for listening.”

“No problem. Take care of yourself and Mrs. Sinclaire.”

“I will. Have a good night, Daphne.”

“Good night, Ernest.”

Once he was gone, Daphne put on her sandals and returned to the party.

It was a quarter past 11 P.M. when Daphne excused herself to rest. After removing her makeup and taking a quick shower, she changed to her favorite nightie and proceeded to moisturize her skin before going to bed. Of all people she expected to meet that night, Ernest was the last person she thought she would have talked to. And she couldn’t help but think how lonely and heartbroken he was.

Just then, Hamid’s contact picture popped on the screen of her mobile while it buzzed unceasingly on her dresser. She smiled, taking the phone with her to bed before answering the video call. “Hey, I thought I wasn’t going to talk to you until tomorrow.”

“That was the plan, but I’ve been sleeping for the last ten hours and I missed you. So I thought I should call you and wish you goodnight.”

“Aww… I miss you too. I envy you a little because you slept all day and you look so nice and well-rested while I’m here looking like a hot mess.”

“You always look stunning to me. Even when you have those dark circles under your eyes,” he teased.

“Hey!” Daphne scowled, hiding the slightly dark area under her eyes with both hands.

He cackled. “I’m joking. You look as lovely as always and the reason I think you should go to sleep is completely unrelated to your beauty.”

“I’m letting this slide just because I miss you, but don’t get used to it,” Daphne berated, lying on her stomach. “Talk to me,“ Daphne pouted, giving her best puppy eyes impression.

"Of course, my little angel.” He grinned. “How was the party?”

“The food was great, obviously. Fergie and Eugenie were here and they’re great people to talk to.”

“Agreed. But I doubt you only had to socialize with them.”

“Yeah.” She rolled eyes. “Ugh… I was so bored. Each time someone offered me a champagne flute, I got more tired and bored,” she whined.

“Sounds like most parties I’ve been invited to attend since I became a diplomat.”

Daphne giggled, but her smile quickly faded. “There’s something else I want to talk to you about. I talked to Ernest tonight.”

“Hmm…” Hamid’s expression grew serious. “How was it?”

“Not good. But it wasn’t about us. His mother is thinking about quitting her cancer treatment. He didn’t know who else to talk to.”

“It makes sense. You both have friends from the same inner circle and you were the only one who lived a similar situation to the one he must be facing now.”

“Exactly. I gave him a few pointers of what to do next and told him to call me if he needs help.”

“I’m sure Felicity will be thrilled.” A corner of his mouth quirked up.

“He thought _you_ were going to be a problem.”

Hamid made a face.

“I know, right?”

“I have to admit I’m not happy you’re keeping in touch with the man you were engaged to, but this is a sensitive matter for you and I can’t ignore it.”

“I’ve told you about how much I wished I had somebody who truly understood everything Mama and I went through. He seemed so lost… I couldn’t turn my back on him.” She looked away from the screen.

“You did the right thing.”

“You’re not mad, are you?” Daphne frowned.

“I’m nothing but proud of you.”

"Thank you…” she replied timidly, then rubbed a hand on one eye.

“You should get some sleep now. We can talk in the morning.”

“Okay.” She stifled a yawn, shifting on her side to rest her head on the pillow. “Good night, Hamid.”

“Sweet dreams, aşkım.” Hamid smiled softly before he disconnected, so both of them could go to sleep.


End file.
